Benjamin Šeško grew up in Slovenia, where kids often split time between the pitch and the court. He did the same. Friends recall pickup games in his hometown of Radeče, where the tall teenager could sink threes and rise for windmills on a battered outdoor rim. The videos still surface now and then, reminders that he could have chosen a different path.
In his first interview after signing for Manchester United, he made it clear that the love never left. “I play a lot of basketball, especially in the days off and stuff, if I really have time,” he told Manchester United’s club media. “Of course, I’m not sweating a lot because you just have to do regeneration, but if there’s an opportunity that I can take, I’ll play basketball. I love to do it. It’s just been also a passion of mine since the youth. When I was off the football, there was basketball. So yeah, I like to do that and I’m enjoying it and it’s like it relaxes me.”
Šeško is 6-foot-5 yet moves with the agility of a smaller player. That blend shows most in the air. He meets crosses like a rebounder, timing his leap, carving space, and rising to a height few defenders can match. His footwork matters too—quick steps and shoulder feints that resemble a crossover before he bursts into the box.
How hoops translate to headers
Coaches and scouts have long noticed the connection. Christopher Vivell, who worked with him at RB Leipzig, described it on the Bundesliga’s site: “Benjamin Šeško is among the game’s top young talents and has enormous potential to become a top player. He has all the qualities to do that. He’s extremely quick, has a great jump on him and is strong in the air. Benjamin is a real goalscorer, who, despite his 1.95m, is mobile and technically strong. His abilities make him a special player with a special profile.” The words read like a basketball scouting report as much as a football one.
On the field, the translation is clear. Vertical leap becomes aerial dominance. Court spacing becomes smart movement between center backs. Defensive slides and quick bursts turn into the balance needed to spin off a marker. Even his one‑on‑one duels carry a hint of the post-up—shielding the ball, then rolling free.
The fan conversation has kept pace with the tape. When Eurohoops posted clips of him dunking, comments piled up with lines like “can hoop,” “windmill,” and “reverse dunk,” the sort of language usually seen under NBA highlights. Reddit threads leaned into the nickname Air Šeško and joked about him entering a dunk contest, while United fans embraced the idea of a striker who might “dunk on Premier League defenders.” That crossover appeal is part of the story.
He still follows the NBA closely and often mentions Luka Dončić as a favorite. Slovenia’s two biggest sporting exports moving in parallel—one to Old Trafford, one chasing titles across the Atlantic—remain a point of pride at home. For Šeško, the court also serves as a pressure valve. On off days, he shoots not to train for another sport but to clear his head for the one that now defines his career.
The larger lesson is easy to see. A multi-sport childhood can create a different kind of striker, one who reads space instinctively, jumps better than most, and thinks in angles. That’s Šeško’s edge. It explains why his headers look so violent in slow motion and why coaches talk as much about his potential as his production. He’s still early in his career, but the shape of it is already visible—drawn first in chalk on a playground court and now carried forward into the penalty area.
