Eric Maynor
Eric Maynor | |
|---|---|
| Born | Eric Demarqua Maynor June 11, 1987 Raeford, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Basketball coach, former professional basketball player |
| Years active | 2005–2017 (player), 2019–present (coach) |
| Known for | Professional basketball career in the NBA and Europe; assistant coach for Oklahoma City Thunder |
Eric Demarqua Maynor (born June 11, 1987) is a retired American professional basketball athlete who currently serves as an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the National Basketball Association. During his collegiate career at Virginia Commonwealth University, he averaged 22.4 points, 6.2 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game in the 2008–09 season.
Maynor entered the NBA when he was chosen in the first round of the 2009 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz. Throughout his professional tenure, he played for several teams including the Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, Washington Wizards, and Philadelphia 76ers.
Early years
Born on June 11, 1987, in Raeford, North Carolina, Eric Demarqua Maynor is the third child among four siblings of George Maynor and Barbara Robinson. His father had a collegiate basketball career at East Carolina University and was drafted in the fourth round of the 1979 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls.
High school career
Maynor’s high school journey began at Hoke County High School in Raeford before he transferred to Westover High School in Fayetteville for his final year. There, he teamed up with friend and AAU teammate De'shaune Griffin. Leading his squad to the North Carolina state championship game, Maynor scored 25 points in a narrow defeat to North Mecklenburg High School on March 14, 2005. His exceptional performance earned him a spot on the 2004/05 North Carolina All State Basketball team by NCPreps.com.
College career
Eric Maynor spent four years competing at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), where he completed a degree in Sports Management.[1]
Freshman season (2005–06)
In his freshman year, Maynor participated in 29 contests and secured a place in the starting lineup by season’s end. He posted averages of 4.7 points and 2.2 assists across 15.7 minutes per game.[1]
Sophomore season (2006–07)
On March 15, 2007, Maynor delivered a standout performance with 22 points, including a decisive game-winning basket that propelled VCU to an upset victory over Duke during the opening round of the 2007 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. His crucial contributions also led VCU to triumph over George Mason in the 2007 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) championship match.
That summer, Maynor was named to the United States squad for the Pan American Games, joining notable players such as D. J. White and Michael Beasley. However, a hip injury restricted him to just two games.[1] Additionally, he was listed among the 50 pre-season candidates for the esteemed 2007–08 John R. Wooden Award.[1]
Junior season (2007–08)
Maynor guided VCU to secure the CAA regular-season championship and earned recognition as both the CAA Player of the Year and a member of the All-CAA first team.[2] Despite these achievements, the Rams were eliminated in the conference tournament semifinals and exited in the first round of the NIT against University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Senior year (2008–09)
During the 2008–09 campaign, Eric Maynor established new VCU benchmarks for career assists and free throws made. On February 28, 2009, he surpassed all previous scorers at VCU by reaching 1,929 points. Maynor spearheaded VCU’s capture of a second CAA championship, delivering 25 points in a decisive 71–50 victory over George Mason on March 9, 2009. The Rams earned a berth in the 2009 NCAA Tournament but were eliminated by UCLA after Maynor missed a potential game-winning attempt.
Utah Jazz (2009)
Selected as the 20th overall pick by the Utah Jazz in the 2009 NBA Draft, Maynor became VCU's inaugural first-round draftee. He inked a two-year deal valued at $1.3 million for his rookie season. Anticipated to serve as backup to Deron Williams, Maynor expressed enthusiasm about gaining experience from elite talent.
Oklahoma City Thunder (2009–2013)
On December 22, 2009, Maynor and Matt Harpring were traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for the rights to Peter Fehse. The transaction was primarily aimed at lowering Utah’s luxury tax obligations by offloading Harpring’s $6.5 million contract alongside Maynor’s salary. Jazz General Manager Kevin O’Connor acknowledged that parting with Maynor was challenging but noted the team’s depth at point guard with Deron Williams and Ronnie Price.
Maynor took on the role of backup point guard behind rising star Russell Westbrook. On January 7, 2012, he suffered a torn right ACL that sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Despite his injury, the Thunder advanced to the 2012 NBA Finals but were defeated in five games by the Miami Heat.
Portland Trail Blazers (2013)
Maynor was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers on February 21, 2013, in exchange for the NBA rights to Georgios Printezis. Prior to the trade, he had averaged 2.8 points and 2.0 assists over roughly 10.6 minutes per game with Oklahoma City, having dropped to third on their point guard depth chart behind emerging Reggie Jackson. To make room for Maynor, Portland waived reserve guard Ronnie Price.
Blazers General Manager Neil Olshey commended Maynor’s sound decision-making and consistent performance, noting his suitability to lead the team’s second unit and potentially share minutes in the backcourt with rookie Damian Lillard. Olshey emphasized a long-term perspective focused on integrating Maynor into Portland’s system and culture.
Washington Wizards (2013–2014)
Maynor signed with the Washington Wizards on July 10, 2013.
Philadelphia 76ers (2014)
On February 20, 2014, Maynor was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers as part of a three-team deal involving the Denver Nuggets and Washington Wizards. The 76ers waived him on March 17, 2014.
European career
In January 2015, Maynor transitioned to European basketball by signing with Italy’s Pallacanestro Varese for the remainder of the 2014–15 Lega Basket Serie A season.
He then secured a one-year contract in July 2015 with Russian club BC Nizhny Novgorod, participating in Eurocup competitions.
Maynor returned to Pallacanestro Varese for the 2016–17 season before joining Italian team Orlandina Basket in November 2017 for the rest of that campaign.
The Basketball Tournament
In 2017, Maynor competed for Ram Nation—a squad composed of VCU alumni—in The Basketball Tournament. He posted averages of 13.5 points per game, 7.3 assists per game, and 5.5 rebounds per game, contributing significantly as Ram Nation advanced to the Elite Eight before falling narrowly to eventual champions Overseas Elite. This tournament is an annual winner-take-all event with a $2 million prize broadcast on ESPN.
Coaching career
In September 2019, Maynor took on the role of assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Blue. By August 2021, he advanced to join the Oklahoma City Thunder staff as a player development coach.
Regular season
|- | align="left" | | align="left" | Utah | 26 || 2 || 14.0 || .391 || .208 || .758 || 1.5 || 3.1 || .5 || .1 || 5.2 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Oklahoma City | 55 || 0 || 16.5 || .434 || .362 || .692 || 1.7 || 3.4 || .5 || .1 || 4.5 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Oklahoma City | 82 || 0 || 14.6 || .402 || .385 || .729 || 1.5 || 2.9 || .4 || .1 || 4.2 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Oklahoma City | 9 || 0 || 15.2 || .359 || .353 || 1.000 || 1.4 || 2.4 || .6 || .0 || 4.2 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Oklahoma City | 37 || 0 || 10.6 || .313 || .326 || .810 || .5 || 2.0 || .3 || .0 || 2.8 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Portland | 27 || 0 || 21.2 || .422 || .380 || .683 || 1.0 || 4.0 || .4 || .0 || 6.9 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Washington | 23 || 0 || 9.3 || .292 || .320 || .667 || 1.0 || 1.7 || .2 || .0 || 2.3 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Philadelphia | 8 || 0||14.0|| .379|| .333|| .500|| 1.9||1.5|| .5|| .3||3.8 |-class="sortbottom" | align="center" colspan="2" | Career |267||2||14.6||.392||.350||.721||1.3||2.8||.4||.1||4.3
Playoffs
|- | align="left" | 2010 | align="left" | Oklahoma City |6||0||12.7|| .300|| .167|| .818|| 1.5||1.5|| .2|| .2||3.7 |- | align="left" | 2011 | align="left" | Oklahoma City | 17||0||12.9|| .377|| .360|| .789||1.3||| 2.2||| .5||| .0||| 4.8 |-class="sortbottom" | align="center" colspan="2" | Career |23||0||12.9||.361||.323||.800||1.3||2.0||.4||.0||4.5
External links
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- 1987 births
- Living people
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