ITHACA, N.Y. -- At one time, Cornell's shot-blocking king had dreams of reaching the NBA. Few would have guessed that the self-described seventh or eighth-best player on his Long Island Lutheran HS basketball team would make it, though likely in a different way than he imagined. Two decades later, the NBA's Senior Director of Player Development has quite the story to tell at reunions.
 
School always came easy for Jeffrion Aubry '99. Basketball on the other hand? That took some work.
 
"I was gifted in some ways, but I had to work really, really hard to be good enough to have the kind of career I did," Aubry said. "I could always block shots. Anywhere I went, wherever I played, I could always block shots."
 
"I played so long because I really enjoyed being a veteran and being able to pour into the guys that were coming after me," Aubry said. "I enjoyed seeing them be successful. I had a genuine appreciation for how hard the journey is and know that a little boost, a little push in the right direction, would allow them to realize all of their dreams."
 
His NBA role allows him to do just that. It was his basketball experience and Industrial and Labor Relations degree from Cornell that helped him get in position to move in that direction.
 
The 6-10 center was recruited by mostly Division II and III schools until Cornell called, but the East Elmhurst, N.Y. native gradually developed into one of the Ivy League's most dominant big men. Aubry led the Ancient Eight in blocked shots twice and piling up more than 50 rejections in each of his final three seasons. As a freshman, he became one of just 18 rookies to ever start his first game at Cornell. Over four years and 101 total contests, Aubry blocked 191 shots and averaged a whopping 3.6 blocks per 40 minutes. As a senior captain, he nearly averaged a double-double in posting 10.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per outing. Both his career field goal percentage (.509) and rebounding totals (596, 5.9 per game) rank in the Big Red's top 10 over the last half-century.
 
Aubry caught the attention of professional basketball teams after spending a summer training with the Los Angeles Lakers of Puerto Rico basketball, Cangrejeros de Santurce, prior to his senior season at Cornell. He later landed in the D-League after making it through a tryout of more than 175 players - a who's who of college basketball all-stars - for 80 spots.
 
His playing career really blossomed as his body caught up to his intellect after graduation. He played more than a dozen years of professional basketball, blocking shots and patrolling trapezoidal lanes across the globe. Aubry's playing passport includes stamps from Spain, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Poland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Argentina, Valenzuela, Peru, the Dominican Republic and the United States.
 
Aubry spent three seasons playing in the NBA's developmental league, pacing the circuit in blocked shots in 2002-03 and ranking in the top three the year prior. His field goal percentage and rebounding totals twice put him the top 10 in the league. A step away from the NBA, Aubry chose a different path and went back overseas.
 
That isn't at all unusual for Aubry. He's often chosen a unique journey. But it was indeed his time in the D League, now known as the G League, that unknowingly set him up for success after his playing career came to an end.
Aubry made his debut in the world's top basketball league in a most unusual way. He accepted a high-level internship for a program available to only former NBA and D-League players. He chose between a spot in basketball operations and marketing and business ops. The Cornell ILR graduate, who had returned to school at Columbia for a Master's in Sports Management, was a perfect fit. When his internship was complete and a position in player development opened, Aubry slid right in. Four years later, he was elevated from Director to Senior Director.
 
His personality makes him a unique fit for the position. Inquisitive and self-assured, he builds relationships with the players almost like a chaplain does in spreading his faith. He's able to talk to players about things in their lives that those who haven't lived the basketball lifestyle couldn't deliver in the same way.
 
Financial literary. Expectations of behavior. How to find and utilize resources from the league's office. He plays a big role in the league's Rookie Transition Program, which helps first-years adapt to the NBA landscape much like orientation in college gets students acclimated to the campus environment.
 
"There's younger guys trying to figure their way into this league. Some of those guys are thinking about going overseas and I can counsel them about which countries are good living situations, good money situations and good team environment," Aubry said.
 
Maybe the most valuable life lesson Aubry said he can share is how to transition away from basketball. When your life's goal is met by the time you're 18 and finished in your early 30s, there's a lot of life to live after the sneakers go back in the closet for the final time.
 
"What's the next mountain top? When you stop doing what you absolutely love, sometimes you can't think of anything else that will give you that same feeling."
 
Aubry now spends his time helping players, current and former athletes at the top of their profession, into their second life.
 
"The coaching, the mentoring part of it, was so important and helped me. When I was a rookie all I did was ask questions and listen because that was my nature. I was naturally intellectually curious - if you're going to be at Cornell, you have to be. That helped me learn so much from so many different players and be able to use that information and leverage it towards my own career."
 
After more than a decade barnstorming, Aubry realized that his hard work on the court has taken him all the way to the NBA. Now he's helping others stay there.