INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- 5 a.m. practices, constant full court sprints, and strenuous conditioning is something that professional basketball players spend much of their lives preparing for, and they happily oblige. It's the price they know they must pay in order to be great at what they do. It's what happens after their basketball careers that most usually have no preparation for.  For some, basketball has been their whole lives and transitioning to a retired player can be exceptionally difficult, but for retired NBA player, Fred Jones, this was fortunately not the case.

"Luckily, basketball wasn't my whole life. It was a very big part of life, and it helped steer me in certain directions, but faith and family has, by far, been the most important parts of my life," said Jones.

Jones also expressed that two of his biggest challenges have been restoring a sense of normalcy to his home life as being on the road frequently took him away from his family and missing the camaraderie of his teammates, who became like family when they were on the road.

"Basketball has been such a big part of my life for so long and now that it isn't top priority, adjusting has taken some time. But, retirement came at the right time for me because now I get to spend more time with my wife and raising my 3-year-old son. I'm putting as much energy and effort into my family as I did into basketball, and it is rewarding," said Jones.

Jones, however, is putting his energy into other things these days as well. He is the Founder and CEO of a virtual community for professional basketball players called Player Population. Built on the vision of what Fred calls the 3 C's (communication, commerce and competition), Player Population is an exclusive site where basketball players can feel comfortable instantly sharing information on businesses and charities as well as buy, sell or trade merchandise with fellow players.

"As players we are grouped in our own 'fraternity.' With the way social media is evolving, I thought creating Player Population would be an excellent way to build a platform for us to become and stay connected," expressed Jones.

Player Population is a win-win concept for everyone involved as active and retired basketball players get to continue and/or expand the camaraderie they developed on the court, and advertisers get to take advantage of an exclusive market with an endless amount of buying power.

When many athletes retire from a game that has essentially defined them for so long, they struggle to find a place where they can redirect their energy and passion.  Fortunately, for Fred Jones, he has finally found a way to merge his love for family and his love for basketball. For him, life after basketball has created a new set of challenges and endeavors that have been just as rewarding as taking that last second jump shot during a championship game.

For more information about Player Population or to schedule an interview with Fred Jones, please call 855.424.3222 or email info@playerpopulation.com. Fred and the Player Population team will be at the NBA All Star Weekend in Houston February 15-17, 2013 showcasing Player Population.com to players.

PlayerPopulation.com is a digital property of BlackBox Media Ventures, LLC.

SOURCE Player Population