“I predict simple basketball; I’m happy to be here in Varese”

He has even brought the shoes of Kevin Durant, his mate on the Thunder team and personal friend, but he promises that the NBA chapter is over for the moment, because now he has to think only about doing well here. Eric Maynor, 27, appeared in Varese, after the first three days of training with Openjobmetis, and explained what he hopes to bring to the court, starting next Monday, in his debut in Serie A, in the lively stadium in Cantù. “These have been three long, intense days for me, in which I’ve had the chance to get to know my teammates, the staff and the managers. No problems so far, except the jetlag; I’ve slept little, but I had accounted for that, and it’ll all pass with time.”
On the court, the playmaker Maynor found himself up against the playmaker Pozzecco, who had already beaten him in an improvised shooting competition. “When I arrived here, I already knew a little of his fame,” the American playmaker explained, “because in Atlanta, I trained with Derek Hamilton (a former Varese player and teammate of Poz on the Metis team, 2001-02), who spoke to me about him, telling me about how important the coach is for Varese and for Italian basketball. From a technical point of view, you can see he’s a “fresh” former player; he pays great attention to our needs and is always very open and helpful.”

On the court, the people of Varese expect a man who will be the leader and the playmaker. Maynor said this about himself: “I think I can make this type of contribution to the team; I like giving my teammates the opportunity to shoot when they’re free, and creating something also for myself. I want the rest of the team to be able to play more simply, and I want to bring my leadership to the court.” Among the unknowns concerning Openjobmetis’ new acquisition, there are his lack of experience in Europe, and the fact that Maynor has not played a real game for about ten months. “I know that the basketball played here is more physical than what I’m used to, but I’m ready to join your championship, also because my goal is to stay at a high level in Europe for a few years. On the fact that I haven’t played for some time, I must say that the training sessions in these last few days have been very useful. We’ve been working at a fast pace, almost game pace, often trying 5 against 5 situations; by doing this, I think I’ll be able to get the competition mechanisms back quickly.”
And the playmaker has already been informed of when his debut will be. “More than one person has already told me about the game on Monday evening (the derby in Cantù, ed.). They’ve told me about the type of game and about the stadium in which it’ll be played; for someone like me, this is good news.” His concluding remarks were typical “American”. “The experience of the last five years was wonderful, as the reserve for some great playmakers in the NBA (above all, Russell Westbrook). But now, I’m taking a new step in my career, reinventing myself as a player in the basic five, as I was in my college years. But I’m ready and happy to have this opportunity in Italy and in Varese.” Welcome Eric!