“Marcus Ginyard played for the Tar Heels from 2006-2010. He now plays professionally in France and will post a regular travelogue column on Chapelboro.”
Marcus Ginyard
Last year at this time, I signed a contract to play in D-League with the Westchester Knicks club affiliated with the New Yorks Knicks. I was extremely excited to embark on this journey which brought me closer to my dream of playing in the NBA.
I was hoping to stand out, attract the attention of general managers in the league, and generate enough interest for someone willing to take the risk to offer me a 10-day contract. It was a goal which was, and still remains, within reach.
But we all know that things rarely go exactly how we plan them. The majority of my time with the Knicks was plagued by injuries, since the first day of training camp, when I tore myself the quadriceps.
Upon returning from this rehab, and after playing for a month without health concerns, I was sidelined because of a thumb injury, and was cut from the team shortly after.
When I returned home, I worked extremely hard to stay fit in order to end the season with another team. I moved to Greece in March in order to play the rest of the season with Panionios BC, but the Knicks did not allow me to officially sign with the club.
Finally, after an off-season of six months (3 times longer than usual), I had the great news to learn that I was coming to France to play for Hermine Nantes Atlantique. I immediately knew that this opportunity of playing in a league like the highly respected French Pro B would be a perfect stage to show my skills.
This opportunity gave me an unimaginable amount of energy!
I can not describe how happy I was landing in a great city, with awesome teammates, coaches and club connoisseurs with a good organization. I have never been so close to my teammates so early in the season. I love working with them every day and building relationships outside the gym.
During the preseason, we had some less-than-perfect moments, but we also showed that we had the ability to compete with the top-level when we are disciplined and focused. The thing that impressed me most during this preparation is that we always remained together in spirit.
For me, this positive spirit is the most important thing we have.
Of course, there is still much work ahead. We must continue to improve every aspect of our game, everyday.
“Work!”
We hear this from our coaches everyday, and they are right.
It takes work to be the best. This season will be another year of exciting discoveries. It is also an opportunity to discover a new city, a new country, and obviously a new language.
As a team, we have discovered that we have the energy and the determination to overcome all the events that will be put in front of us.
Everyday I wake up, I am energized and excited to meet every challenge that I have to deal individually and collectively with the team. I look forward to sharing my thoughts, all my struggles and triumphs with you all!
Thank you!
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