From NAIA to the Olympics: Dylan Travis’ unlikely path to Paris

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - To call Dylan Travis’ path to the Paris Olympics improbable would be an understatement.

“It’s been a wild journey with my basketball career,” said Travis.

The Omaha native will make his Olympic debut Tuesday representing Team USA in basketball.

“I feel like a lot of people would have quit, but I think that’s what’s cool about my story is, I didn’t,” he said. “I overcame a lot of obstacles to get where I’m at.”

A Class B standout for Gross Catholic, Travis began his college career at the NAIA level with Midland University. After playing limited minutes, he dropped down to the JUCO ranks, transferring to Iowa Central Community College.

“I was just trying to make it day by day, like keeping my head above water,” he said.

Omaha native Dylan Travis will represent Team USA in 3X3 men's basketball at the Paris Olympics.(USA Basketball)

That work paid off with a Div. II opportunity at Florida Southern. Travis won a national title and was named an All-American in two seasons with the Mocs. After graduating, he embarked on a professional career in Germany and Australia.

“I played five on five overseas for four years,” he said. “COVID shuts down my season in Australia in 2020. So I retired. Thought I was done with professional basketball. I started teaching here at Westside and coaching here.”

Then, personal tragedy. Dylan’s father figure, Mike, passed away suddenly in March of 2020.

“He was at every game in junior high and high School,” he said. “He treated my mom really well. I always respected him for that. He passed earlier than anyone thought, I mean, just out of nowhere.”

As the pandemic raged on, Travis thought about life beyond basketball.

“There’s just a lot going on,” he said. “Basketball was just kind of like a distant thought of mine. Honestly, I was just kind of over it.”

Enter 3X3 basketball. Michael Wranovics, 3BALL USA founder and CEO, introduced Travis to the sport and began playing for 3BALL Omaha.

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“I had to learn a lot like my first go on tour,” he said. “We didn’t have a lot of success. And then just through losing, honestly, I learned how to play 3X3.”

He quickly rose through the ranks, eventually signing with Team USA. Now he’ll play alongside the likes of former BYU star Jimmer Fredette in Paris, as part of first Olympic 3X3 team in United States history.

“It’s obviously a huge blessing,” he said. “It hasn’t really hit me yet.”

Dylan knows Mike is looking down, beaming with pride at his unlikely run to Paris.

“It’s just crazy, this journey,” he said. “I know he’s out there making plays, kind of pulling the strings, because just, I feel like, I shouldn’t be in this position and I feel like he’s making things happen up there.”

Travis becomes just the second Omaha native to play for USA basketball at the Olympics. He joins Bob Boozer, who won gold at the 1960 Rome Games, a trend Dylan hopes to continue in Paris.

“Anytime you have USA across your chest, especially in basketball, you have to win gold,” he said. “We’ve learned a lot since the World Cup last summer and we’ve grown a lot. So I think we were in a good position to make a run at this.”

When to watch: Dylan’s Olympic journey begins Tuesday at 3:15pm CT as USA takes on Serbia. That game will air live on NBC.