Shownotes
Eric Demers is a professional basketball player currently playing in Spain. He also spent two season with the Maine Red Claws in the NBA G League. Demers played his college basketball at D3 Gordon College where he scored over 2,500 points and averaged 32.4 points per game as a senior. He is also a member of the We are D3 TBT team.
On this episode Mike and Eric discuss Eric’s journey from Division 3 basketball at Gordon College to playing professionally in Spain, highlighting the challenges and triumphs along the way. After a lengthy 18-month wait for his first playing opportunity due to COVID-19, Demers finally showcased his skills with the San Antonio Spurs in Summer League. He reflects on the importance of perseverance and staying ready, both mentally and physically, during uncertain times. The conversation dives into his recruitment experience, the adjustment to different levels of play, and the unique camaraderie among fellow athletes from smaller schools in the TBT tournament. As he navigates the demanding life of a professional player with a growing family, Demers emphasizes the joy of exploring new cultures while pursuing his passion for basketball.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @hoopheadspod for the latest updates on episodes, guests, and events from the Hoop Heads Pod.
Make sure you’re subscribed to the Hoop Heads Pod on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts and while you’re there please leave us a 5 star rating and review. Your ratings help your friends and coaching colleagues find the show. If you really love what you’re hearing recommend the Hoop Heads Pod to someone and get them to join you as a part of Hoop Heads Nation.
Get ready to take some notes as you listen to this episode with professional basketball player Eric Demers.
Website - https://jokermag.com/eric-demers-g-league/
Email - eric.demers21@gmail.com
Twitter/X - @ericdemers21
Visit our Sponsors!
Give With Hoops is a groundbreaking initiative that fuses basketball analytics with modern sponsorship. Built for teams who see data as opportunity, from AAU programs to college powerhouses. By tying on-court performance directly to community and sponsor engagement, Give With Hoops help programs raise more while deepening support from those who believe in the game.
Hoop Heads Listeners currently get 25% off!
Your step-by-step guide to getting recruited as a college athlete at the NCAA Division 3 level. This course is designed by former D3 Athletes to take you from zero interest from college coaches to securing your first offer and putting you on the path to committing.
Your first impression is everything when applying for a new coaching job. A professional coaching portfolio is the tool that highlights your coaching achievements and philosophies and, most of all, helps separate you and your abilities from the other applicants. Special Price of just $25 for all Hoop Heads Listeners.
Empowering athletic coaches with financial education, strategic planning, and practical tools to build lasting wealth—on and off the court.
If you listen to and love the Hoop Heads Podcast, please consider giving us a small tip that will help in our quest to become the #1 basketball coaching podcast. https://hoop-heads.captivate.fm/support
Twitter/X
Podcast - @hoopheadspod
Mike - @hdstarthoops
Jason - @jsunkle
https://www.facebook.com/hoopheadspod/
YouTube
Transcripts
Foreign Podcast is brought to you by Head Start Basketball as a wild ride with COVID I was gonna agree to go to New Zealand to play, but Covid kind of shut that one down.
Eric Demers:So it took me 18 months to get my first playing opportunity with the San Antonio spurs in Summer league.
Eric Demers:Just kind of trying to stay ready physically and mentally, but it was a long road to get that first opportunity.
Sponsor/Ad:Eric Demers is a professional basketball player currently playing in Spain.
Sponsor/Ad:He also spent two seasons with the Maine Red Claws in the NBA G League.
Sponsor/Ad:Demers played his college basketball at D3 Gordon College, where he scored over 2,500 points and averaged 32.4 points per game as a senior.
Sponsor/Ad:He's also a member of the we are D3TBT team.
Mike Cleansing:Hey hoop Heads.
Sponsor/Ad:Find the shooting machine that meets your team's exact training needs this New Year's with Dr.
Sponsor/Ad: Dish Basketball's: Sponsor/Ad:Shop now until January 31st to unlock their biggest offer ever.
Sponsor/Ad:Buy one Dr.
Sponsor/Ad:Dish, get one free.
Sponsor/Ad:Learn more at DrDishBasketball.com and follow their incredible content rdishbball on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
Sponsor/Ad:Mention the Hoop Heads podcast and save an extra $300 on the Dr.
Sponsor/Ad:Dish, Rebel All Star and CT models.
Sponsor/Ad:Those are some great deals.
Sponsor/Ad:Hoop Heads get your doctor Dish shooting machine today.
Eric Demers:Hi, this is Shiva Senthal, Head Men's Basketball Coach at Oberlin College and you are listening to the Hoop Heads podcast.
Sponsor/Ad:Prepare like the pros with the all new FastDraw and Fast Scout.
Sponsor/Ad:FastDraw has been the number one play diagramming software for coaches for years.
Sponsor/Ad:You'll quickly see why FastModel Sports has the most compelling and intuitive basketball software out there.
Sponsor/Ad:For a limited time, Fast Model is offering Hoop heads listeners 15% off fast draw and Fast Scout.
Sponsor/Ad:Just use the code HHP15 at checkout to grab your discount and you'll be on your way to more efficient game prep and improve communication with your team.
Sponsor/Ad:Fastmodel also has new coaching content every week on its blog, plus play and drill diagrams on its playback.
Sponsor/Ad:Check out the links in the show Notes for more Fast Model Sports is the best in basketball.
Sponsor/Ad:Get ready to take some notes as you listen to this episode with Eric Demers, professional basketball player.
Mike Cleansing:Hello and welcome to the Hoop Heads Podcast.
Mike Cleansing:It's Mike Cleansing here this morning without my co host Jason Sunkel, but I am pleased to be joined by professional basketball player Eric Demers.
Mike Cleansing:Eric, welcome to the Hoop headspod.
Eric Demers:I appreciate the opportunity to chat it up with you.
Eric Demers:Thanks for having me excited Man.
Mike Cleansing:Looking forward to diving into your career, all the things that you've been able to do.
Mike Cleansing:Let's start by going back in time to when you were a kid.
Mike Cleansing:Tell me how you get into the game.
Mike Cleansing:What makes you fall in love with it?
Eric Demers:Yeah, I think just like any kid, I feel like you kind of gravitate towards what family interests are.
Eric Demers:And my uncle played college basketball.
Eric Demers:My dad coached some high school basketball for the time being.
Eric Demers:So I feel like just being kind of born into a family that was.
Eric Demers:Basketball is kind of the main sport made me just naturally gravitate towards it.
Mike Cleansing:Did you have gym access through your dad when you were a kid or no?
Eric Demers:Yeah, kind of through my whole family.
Eric Demers:My whole family works in, like, the school system, so my dad was my high school principal.
Eric Demers:My.
Eric Demers:My aunt is a superintendent in town, so just kind of always had.
Eric Demers:Was knocking on doors, whether it be my father's or.
Eric Demers:Or other family members that were teachers.
Eric Demers:So always kind of found my way into the gym.
Mike Cleansing:Nice.
Mike Cleansing:You always had the keys.
Mike Cleansing:That's a good way to go about things when you're.
Mike Cleansing:When you're young.
Eric Demers:Did you play anything?
Mike Cleansing:Did you play anything else besides hoops?
Eric Demers:I feel like soccer is a common sport that kids play growing up.
Eric Demers:Played a little bit of soccer and then baseball.
Eric Demers:And then once I got to high school, I actually played golf.
Eric Demers:Went to high school in Cape Cod, so I got the privilege to play some pretty nice places for free.
Eric Demers:And then it was only a Monday through Friday type of sport, so I was able to play AU and stuff on the weekends.
Eric Demers:So that was kind of my.
Eric Demers:My two high school sports right there.
Mike Cleansing:Are you still golfing now that you're playing professionally?
Eric Demers:Yeah, yeah.
Eric Demers:I married into a golfing family.
Eric Demers:My brother.
Eric Demers:My brother in law played golf at unc.
Eric Demers:My father in law plays golf, so kind of lucked out there.
Eric Demers:So I usually play about 10 to 15 rounds a year when I'm not overseas.
Mike Cleansing:Nice.
Mike Cleansing:What's the best course you've played?
Eric Demers:Probably the ocean course down in Kiawah island where they put the PGA Championship.
Mike Cleansing:Nice.
Mike Cleansing:What'd you shoot?
Mike Cleansing:What'd you shoot on that one?
Eric Demers:I shot 78 that day.
Eric Demers:It was a.
Eric Demers:There was no wind, so part of me was I lucked out weather wise.
Eric Demers:Cause I hear it's.
Eric Demers:It's pretty windy out there, but it was also a good day for myself as well.
Mike Cleansing:All right, well, if you're Putting up a 78 on that course, I'm not gonna.
Mike Cleansing:I'm not gonna challenge you.
Mike Cleansing:I used to.
Mike Cleansing:I Haven't played.
Mike Cleansing:I haven't played much golf, but man, I used to play for like a dollar a hole with a college buddy and we'd be lucky to crack 78 on nine.
Mike Cleansing:So you're definitely out of my.
Mike Cleansing:You're definitely out of my league, man.
Mike Cleansing:Without question.
Mike Cleansing:All right, so as you're starting to take the game more seriously, you're getting into high school, what's your workout routine look like?
Mike Cleansing:How are you improving?
Mike Cleansing:How are you trying to get yourself better as a player?
Mike Cleansing:What's the balance between working out with maybe a trainer or a partner, working by yourself, playing competitive pickup games?
Mike Cleansing:Just what were you doing to try to get better?
Eric Demers:Yeah, I just, was someone who just, just loved being in the gym.
Eric Demers:I was kind of the definition of a gym rat.
Eric Demers:Whether that be being at the community center in middle school, early high school, just waiting for some guys to tire out where they finally needed an extra body to play with the high school guys or the college guys that are in town or, or whatnot.
Eric Demers:But I feel like for train, the training, like stuff was very new to the scene.
Eric Demers:I feel like when I was in high school.
Eric Demers:So a lot of it was just love of the game, finding ways to get in the gym, whether it be having friends rebound for me, family rebound for me, but just kind of being creative with myself as well as just, just being the competitor, just trying to find ways to play pickup, two on two, three on three, any chance I could.
Eric Demers:And then once I started getting into college, just being a little bit more thoughtful of how I worked out, finding a trainer that I agreed with their philosophy.
Eric Demers:They were, they were working me out in a way that was translated to my game and my team system, not just putting me through the same workout they'd give somebody else.
Eric Demers:So just kind of finding my own path through the love of it.
Eric Demers:And then that kind of carried towards like being more particular with how I train.
Mike Cleansing:What did your AAU experience look like?
Eric Demers:It was kind of a roller coaster.
Eric Demers:I played for an EYBL team starting in sixth grade.
Eric Demers:Like program.
Eric Demers:We weren't on the EYBL circuit that early, but like a bigger time program in Boston in sixth through eighth grade.
Eric Demers:And then they all went completely in a different direction.
Eric Demers:So I played smaller level.
Eric Demers:Like au bunch of.
Eric Demers:I think there's, out of the 12 of us, I think nine of us played Division 3 basketball, one played Ivy League and the other didn't play college basketball.
Eric Demers:So a lot of like similar minded guys that just kind of played basketball the right way and we Kind of were able to showcase that on the AU circuit up the east coast.
Mike Cleansing:Would you say when you think about your recruitment and your desire to play college basketball, would you say that your AAU experience or your high school experience?
Mike Cleansing:Because I think you're probably right on the cusp of where college coaches really started to evaluate more and figure out who they would try to recruit on the AAU scene versus the high school scene.
Mike Cleansing:But I'm just curious what your experience was in terms of your recruitment and what that looked like AAU versus high school?
Eric Demers:Yeah, it was definitely, I feel like nowadays it's definitely the AU scene and then once you start building relationships with college coaches, then they'll take the time to come see you in your high school season.
Eric Demers:My recruitment was definitely under recruitment in my opinion.
Eric Demers:I was definitely a late bloomer in general.
Eric Demers:I feel like my best basketball is just knocking on the door.
Eric Demers:But a lot of local D3 schools in the New England area where there's a ton of them, came knocking briefly and then I feel like they stopped calling by the time my senior year came around.
Eric Demers:So once my senior season hit, I was only being recruited by Gordon College, where I ended up going, and then Springfield College and kind of the rest kind of fell off.
Eric Demers:So it was definitely under recruited in my opinion.
Eric Demers:But I mean clearly it's, it's worked out for me.
Mike Cleansing:So what do you attribute that to?
Mike Cleansing:I'm just curious.
Mike Cleansing:Is it just the fact that, hey, you're a 6:1 white kid that, you know, just didn't attract attention, you're not doing anything flashy or, or what do you attribute it to just where you were at location wise?
Mike Cleansing:I'd be curious.
Eric Demers:Yeah, I think, I think it's kind of a mix of things.
Eric Demers:I went to school on Cape Cod, so not a huge basketball scene.
Eric Demers:I tried to play AU closer to the like Boston area, which I did.
Eric Demers:But a lot of schools, like, whether it be there was a lot of like Division 2 schools and higher up, Division 3 schools that were like reaching out to my AU coach, like hey, is he six four?
Eric Demers:And it's like no, he's six two in shoes.
Eric Demers:But like, and it's kind of created my own way of how I view the game of basketball of like it's very easy to, to say I want X, Y and Z, but at the end of the day it's what produces on the court is going to help you win.
Eric Demers:I always laugh now that I'm a professional where I see things online, it's like they'll give a description of what they're looking for.
Eric Demers:And it's LeBron James, but they're, they got an internship level salary to offer you, and it's like you can't check all those boxes, but it's.
Eric Demers:At the end of the day, it's like you need to look at what's on the court.
Eric Demers:And like, the eye test is, is something I feel like I passed because I be.
Eric Demers:I'm able to produce on the court, even though maybe I'm a couple inches shorter than what they were looking for at the time.
Mike Cleansing:What's your favorite memory from playing high school basketball?
Eric Demers:Just, I feel like youth basketball in general, whether that be high school, college, is just kind of like the true friendships and brotherhood of what it is to be a team.
Eric Demers:Going into the professional rankings where it's your job, you really feel more of a job.
Eric Demers:And the, the age gap is a lot bigger in professional basketball, and people are in different places in life and from different areas and upbringing.
Eric Demers:So I feel like just the, the true, like, camaraderie of being a part of a team growing up is.
Eric Demers:There's nothing like it.
Mike Cleansing:Yeah, absolutely.
Mike Cleansing:I mean, I think that those lifelong relationships that you build with teammates, without question, it's one of the best parts of, of the game, no doubt.
Mike Cleansing:And then I'm sure, as you said, from the professional side of it, it's a little bit different when you're moving from one contract to the next.
Mike Cleansing:And as you said, there's young guys who are 23, and then there's guys who are 35 and married with a whole family.
Mike Cleansing:So it's definitely a different sort of relationship when you start talking about professional teammates.
Mike Cleansing:Tell me a little bit about the recruitment to Gordon, your decision to go there.
Mike Cleansing:Obviously, as you said, you didn't have a ton of choices at the time, but why Gordon?
Mike Cleansing:And then we'll talk a little bit about what you felt like was the adjustment or how you transitioned to college.
Eric Demers:Yeah, Gordon was definitely the school that recruited me the most.
Eric Demers:To be honest, I kind of put them on the back burner.
Eric Demers:I was like, all right, the Gordon will always be there.
Eric Demers:But like, I wanted to maybe do a guy like go to a post grad year in prep school.
Eric Demers:I was really chasing a scholarship or something like that.
Eric Demers:And then so they came to probably about 10 of my 20 high school games, which is a lot when you think about they're in their own season of their own schedule and things like that, but they truly made the effort to, um, to be there as well as they would sit with my family at the games, they wouldn't kind of do their own thing like other college coaches.
Eric Demers:They were building genuine relationships.
Eric Demers:Um, and then the Springfield College coach at the time never came to see me play.
Eric Demers:It was only his assistant, and turns out he wasn't there the following year.
Eric Demers:So it was like I was being recruited by someone who.
Eric Demers:Who wasn't going to be there with me.
Eric Demers:So.
Eric Demers:And then Gordon, just being a local school in Boston, it was close to home.
Eric Demers:A small Christian private school was a.
Eric Demers:That was a.
Eric Demers:Like a cherry on top benefit to me.
Eric Demers:And then just the opportunity to play right away.
Eric Demers:I.
Eric Demers:I'm someone who values playing, whether that.
Eric Demers:I know some people would rather go to a big school and never play, but for me, I just wanted opportunity to play and reach my potential and.
Eric Demers:And have the opportunity to be on the court.
Mike Cleansing:So when you get there, what's the adjustment like academically, socially, basketball wise?
Mike Cleansing:Did you feel like you stepped right on the court right away and you're like, yeah, I'm ready to play at this level?
Eric Demers:Um, I would never tell you I wasn't ready to play at the college level, but we brought.
Eric Demers:Gordon brought in 10 freshmen that year, so it was total rebuild.
Eric Demers:And we started three of them, and I was one of them.
Eric Demers:So I started every game as a freshman, which was.
Eric Demers:Which was awesome.
Eric Demers:But statistically, I definitely showed I wasn't as efficient as I thought as a player.
Eric Demers:I think I was maybe thrown into a role that was a little bit bigger than I was ready for.
Eric Demers:But just the opportunity to compete at that level from day one, it helped grow me to become the player I am today.
Mike Cleansing:So how long do you feel you were into your career where you had a handle on, hey, I'm playing the way that I want to play, the way I'm capable of playing.
Mike Cleansing:Obviously, you're always striving to get better, and you're never a finished product, but.
Mike Cleansing:But when do you feel like you had a handle on, hey, in the college game?
Mike Cleansing:This is kind of where I'm at.
Eric Demers:Yeah, I think.
Eric Demers:I mean, I was all conference my freshman year.
Eric Demers:I averaged about 12 a game.
Eric Demers:I feel like I had a successful freshman campaign.
Eric Demers:And then the following year, I came back and broke my hand in preseason, then came back and played five games and broke my foot.
Eric Demers:So took a red shirt year that year.
Eric Demers:And I think that's kind of the best thing that's ever happened to me because I was kind of able to kind of reset in all aspects of life.
Eric Demers:Especially basketball and just having that extra year of eligibility where I was able to come back for that second sophomore year, my, my red shirt year fully healthy and I made a jump from 12 points a game to 22 points a game.
Eric Demers:That's where I kind of felt like that third year college, second year of playing.
Eric Demers:But that was where I was like, okay, I'm pretty comfortable where I'm at right now and I feel really confident in what I can do.
Mike Cleansing:When you look at the way that the transfer portal has now influenced college basketball, a guy like you who had such a tremendous career and put up big numbers in Division 3, there'd probably be, if you were in the game today, there would probably be coaches from higher levels knocking on your door.
Mike Cleansing:I don't know if there was anybody knocking on your door a few years ago when you were in that position, but when you look at it today, how would you approach maybe the opportunity to play at a high level?
Mike Cleansing:Was that a higher level?
Mike Cleansing:Was that something that was important to you?
Mike Cleansing:Was it more important to be with your teammates and the coaching staff that recruited you just if you had a chance to look at it?
Mike Cleansing:Have you ever thought about that?
Eric Demers:Yeah, of course.
Eric Demers:I mean, I always dreamed about playing at the highest level, whether that be college, NBA.
Eric Demers:I had an opportunity.
Eric Demers:Boston College reached out to me.
Eric Demers:After that second year.
Eric Demers:I was actually playing and playing well for like a preferred walk on position.
Eric Demers:But at the end of the day it's like, am I going to pay a full tuition at an ACC school, which is pricey, or to sit on the bench, or am I going to continue to be able to play?
Eric Demers:And I met my wife already at that time and we were dating and I was just very comfortable where I am.
Eric Demers:And I think my, my story is very unique.
Eric Demers:There's not a lot like it, but I, I do think the opportunity to lead the country in scoring at Division 3 and be in Sports Illustrated and different platforms following me at the level I was at, I feel like opened more doors than me being maybe a role player averaging seven to 10 points at a mid major type of school.
Mike Cleansing:Yeah, for sure.
Mike Cleansing:No, it makes sense.
Mike Cleansing:I was just curious as to what your mindset was because I think that's something that no matter what level you're playing at, there's always a part of you in the back of your mind that wonders, hey, could you play and get an opportunity at, at a higher level?
Mike Cleansing:And obviously with what you've gone on to do professionally, it's clear that you could have carved yourself Out a pretty good role at the school just about anywhere.
Mike Cleansing:What were you thinking about academically and as far as career?
Mike Cleansing:Because obviously we all have the dream of at some point playing professionally or playing in the NBA.
Mike Cleansing:But what are you thinking about academically or for your career wise if the playing doesn't work out while you're in school?
Eric Demers:Yeah, I was trying to do anything I could to make basketball connections.
Eric Demers:I remember after my junior year of college, I met guys like Joe Missoula, who is an assistant coach for the Celtics at the time, getting his phone number, texting him when I was at Gordon, like, hey man, is there any internship opportunities?
Eric Demers:I just want to get my foot in the door, like whether it be rebounding, things like that.
Eric Demers:And then kind of fast forward like three years later and I'm playing for the organization, which is kind of crazy.
Eric Demers:But I always thought, I always loved basketball.
Eric Demers:I always thought I'd work in basketball in some capacity.
Eric Demers:So I got my degree in sports management as well as business administration.
Eric Demers:So I was definitely knocking on doors with the networking piece, with knowing I had the desire to play professionally at some capacity early on in my college career, I thought it was going to be maybe I go overseas for a year or two and get my master's paid for and just do it for the travel experience.
Eric Demers:And then kind of as my game grew, my kind of view of my career kind of shifted a little bit with that.
Mike Cleansing:So when you do graduate, what's the process for trying to get an opportunity to play professionally?
Mike Cleansing:Are you interviewing agents?
Mike Cleansing:Who are you talking to?
Mike Cleansing:Who's giving you advice?
Mike Cleansing:What steps do you take in order to realize that dream of finding a place to play professionally.
Eric Demers:Yeah, I think at any level you try to play professionally, it's a bit overwhelming whether you're a high major guy and you got all the top agents recruiting you and trying to just interview and shuffle through that and see what's best for you.
Eric Demers:And then a guy like me at Division 3, I'm sitting in my assistant coach's office and we're on a WhatsApp call with three, four different agents from all these different countries speaking broken English.
Eric Demers:And it's like, I don't know who to trust.
Eric Demers:I don't know where to, like, the best way to get my foot in the door.
Eric Demers:But I was working with the NBA trainer out in la, Jordan Lawley, who works with some NBA guys, and he actually introduced me to his agent that he was playing with at the time.
Eric Demers:I'm still not with him at this point.
Eric Demers:But he kind of gave me my first shot to represent me.
Eric Demers:And then unfortunately, as a wild ride with COVID I was going to agree to go to New Zealand to play, but Covid kind of shut that one down.
Eric Demers:So it took me 18 months to get my first playing opportunity with the San Antonio spurs in summer league.
Eric Demers:Just a lot of like knocking on doors and then things would kind of fall through due to Covid and lack of opportunities.
Eric Demers:Whether it be the G league bubble, only half the teams went, so only half the job opportunities and not a lot of rookie chances there.
Eric Demers:So just kind of trying to stay ready physically and mentally.
Eric Demers:But it was, it was a long road to kind of get that first opportunity.
Mike Cleansing:Yeah.
Mike Cleansing:How difficult was that?
Mike Cleansing:18 months when things are shut down, obviously you're not just rolling into the, to the gym and being able to play pickup games.
Mike Cleansing:So how are you working on your game during that 18 month time when you're, when you don't have a team to play for?
Mike Cleansing:And, and I'm sure it was hard to find.
Mike Cleansing:Again, you can be in the gym a lot by yourself, but to be able to find a competitive outlet, how difficult was that?
Eric Demers:For sure, it was.
Eric Demers:It was a roller coaster of like balancing mental and emotional emotions like throughout the process.
Eric Demers:You know, I was married at the time and found out probably halfway through that 18 months that my wife was pregnant, that we were expecting a child and she's teaching.
Eric Demers:I'm working maybe 10 hours a week because I'm.
Eric Demers:My mindset is if, if I'm going to be a professional basketball player, I got to start acting like it.
Eric Demers:I can't work a 40 hour work week and then try to play basketball two hours a week compared to these professionals that do it full time.
Eric Demers:So just trying to balance like, all right, I need to provide for a family, but I still want to chase this dream at the same time.
Eric Demers:And then kind of really got lucky through Covid.
Eric Demers:In between the NBA bubble and the restart in December, my barber actually invited me to play pickup with the Celtics.
Eric Demers:The few of them that were in town, they had about seven or eight guys in town.
Eric Demers:They're looking for a few guys to, to fill out a pickup run and got invited through actually who cuts the guy who cuts my hair, which is a little crazy, but went to that and played really well.
Eric Demers:And then Jalen Brown actually asked me if I wanted to work out with him the next day.
Eric Demers:So had the opportunity to work out with Jalen Brown.
Eric Demers:Marcus Smart probably seven or eight times over the next few weeks before they started up their season again, so lucked out with relationships throughout the process, but just any way I could find a way to be in a competitive setting was super important throughout that process.
Mike Cleansing:And then that eventually leads to you getting to sign on with the Celtics G League team.
Mike Cleansing:What's that process like?
Eric Demers:Yeah, it actually started with the whole TBT experience with Coach Reg giving me an opportunity.
Eric Demers:The whole TBT experience for me is super unique, and I'm not sure it can be replicated due to the scheduling of it, but because of the whole NBA season being off track, TBT was before NBA Summer League that year.
Eric Demers:So I was able to go to TBT and I had a really good game, had 25 points on ESPN, lost a close one.
Eric Demers:But that next day, about eight teams, NBA teams were calling my agent about whether it be summer league opportunities or G League opportunities for that year.
Eric Demers:So it was really TBT kind of steamrolled my career into NBA Summer League and then going into that G League season.
Sponsor/Ad:Coaches, Game Changer is making your game film more valuable than ever.
Sponsor/Ad:New this season to Game Changer, Film Room allows team staff to analyze full game videos, add comments to specific moments, and quickly share feedback with other coaches, team members or families.
Sponsor/Ad:The one U Sports app automatically skips downtime in the game film, condensing event video into active play so you can focus on the moments that matter.
Sponsor/Ad:The best part, it's completely free for coaches.
Sponsor/Ad:Download Game changer now on iOS or Android and take your coaching to the next level with Film Room on Game Changer.
Sponsor/Ad:Game Changer Stream Score Connect.
Mike Cleansing:All right, well, tell me about how you get connected to Coach Reg and the TBT and how that worked in terms of him putting together the roster and reaching out to you.
Mike Cleansing:And was that something that you're like immediately I'm jumping at the chance to do that.
Mike Cleansing:Or was that more of a case of him trying to convince you?
Mike Cleansing:What's the process look like?
Eric Demers:No, I think it was all along was me trying to convince Reg to give me a chance.
Eric Demers:I know you're able to get get to know Reg a little bit when he was on your show, but his big rule is, like, he wants current pros representing his team.
Eric Demers:And at the time, I wasn't as much as I called myself a pro.
Eric Demers:I never got a job and I was kind of still at home because of COVID but I think my basketball resume.
Eric Demers:Reg was willing to take a chance on me and it kind of kind of worked out for both of us.
Eric Demers:I think I helped him in his program a little bit.
Eric Demers:And he definitely helped me in my name and my brand.
Eric Demers:So huge shout out to Reg for that one.
Mike Cleansing:So what is the camaraderie like on that TBT team with all of you guys that have D3 in your background?
Mike Cleansing:And obviously the teams that you're playing against are filled with high major guys and former pros and all this stuff.
Mike Cleansing:And so I'm guessing that collectively there's a little chip on the shoulder in terms of.
Mike Cleansing:We all know that Division 3, that there's, again, you can go to any AAU tournament and the number of people that unfortunately talk down or, you know, want to have that D1 or bust mentality.
Mike Cleansing:What's the chip on the shoulder?
Mike Cleansing:Like, what are you guys talking about as a group?
Mike Cleansing:Is that something that you guys use as fuel or is it something you just ignore because you've heard it for so long?
Eric Demers:No, I think it's a.
Eric Demers:It's a great opportunity for guys of similar backgrounds to get together and just enjoy basketball.
Eric Demers:I think Division 3 is such a pure form of basketball where you're not getting paid by nil, you're not on scholarships, you don't have to be there.
Eric Demers:Like these guys that play Division 3 basketball truly want to be there.
Eric Demers:And then to kind of create an all star team of Division 3 guys.
Eric Demers:It's just for me, I look at any opportunity to as like an, excuse me, as like a networking opportunity where we had 12 guys able to get together of all different basketball backgrounds, whether that be college experience, some guys went and won national championships, or someone has played in this country, in that country, and just being able to pick brains and ask questions of, hey, what was your experience like in Spain?
Eric Demers:Or what was your experience like in Israel?
Eric Demers:And just kind of network and kind of learn about the process of becoming a professional basketball player from kind of the ground up from Division 3 basketball.
Mike Cleansing:Yeah, no, that makes sense.
Mike Cleansing:To be able to have those experiences with guys that have been in different places and can share their advice with you.
Mike Cleansing:I'm sure that was invaluable to you as you've been moving forward in your career.
Mike Cleansing:So explain how the TBT experience, how does that lead to the Celtics?
Mike Cleansing:You said you had a bunch of teams reach out to you.
Mike Cleansing:How do you end up making the decision about where to go?
Eric Demers:Yeah, so when I ended up going to the spurs, thought there was an opportunity for me to play there, but due to the COVID stuff, like, everything was back, like in the wrong order.
Eric Demers:So I.
Eric Demers:I agreed to play summer league with the spurs before the draft.
Eric Demers:They took two guards in the draft.
Eric Demers:So those guys definitely played a lot more than I did in summer league, but had a great opportunity with them.
Eric Demers:And then came home at the end of August and kind of didn't know what was next because I played summer league.
Eric Demers:The rules of the G league stuff is I couldn't just sign a G league contract.
Eric Demers:I'd either have to sign the NBA training camp deal or go through the G league draft process.
Eric Demers:So had to go through the G league draft, throw my name in the hat.
Eric Demers:And then the Celtics called my agent the day of the draft and said, hey, we'll do Eric a favor as a hometown kid and we'll give him an opportunity, but we're most likely going to cut him at the end of training camp.
Eric Demers:And then my agent didn't tell me that part.
Eric Demers:He just told me the Celtics were going to draft me.
Eric Demers:So I was pumped to be home.
Eric Demers:I had a newborn son and my wife moved up in the Boston area.
Eric Demers:So it was a very easy transition.
Eric Demers:And then kind of got to training camp and didn't realize the Celtics were trying to sign a super team in the g league.
Eric Demers:And 10 out of the probably 15 players in training camp were all NBA contract guys, former NBA players, and they were only keeping 12.
Eric Demers:And just kind of put my head down and started working and had the opportunity.
Eric Demers:Every G league team does it at the end of training camp, Whether they go to the NBA facility or the NBA staff comes and watches you scrimmage.
Eric Demers:And we played one half of basketball, two 12 minute quarters in front of Brad Stevens and his staff.
Eric Demers:And I had 23 and five in those 24 minutes of basketball.
Eric Demers:So that kind of helped me solidify my job that day.
Eric Demers:And I kind of never looked back.
Eric Demers:Just kind of kept running with it.
Mike Cleansing:So here's a question that I've talked to different people from the NBA and what's always interesting to me is they'll talk about guys that are at on the roster.
Mike Cleansing:Obviously when you look around the NBA there are not that many guys at any level of basketball.
Mike Cleansing:I don't care where you are, that you just kind of get the ball and get to go do your thing, which obviously at Gordon you got the ball and you got to go do your thing.
Mike Cleansing:And now as you step into the professional ranks, you more have to fit into, okay, what's my role?
Mike Cleansing:How do I figure out how I can make a roster or how can I help my team?
Mike Cleansing:And it's probably not going to be in the role of okay, Eric, we're just giving you the ball and you go do everything, create everything and take as many shots as you want.
Mike Cleansing:So how do you have to adjust your mindset in terms of okay, how do I figure out what my role is?
Mike Cleansing:How do I work on the skills that are actually going to give me an opportunity to play at the pro level, whether that be in the G League, the NBA, overseas?
Mike Cleansing:How do you approach that part of the game?
Eric Demers:Yeah, I'm someone who's still learning it.
Eric Demers:I'm still trying to figure it out.
Eric Demers:But I think the way I play, I don't think I'm the greatest Division 3 basketball player ever, most skilled Division 3 basketball player ever.
Eric Demers:But I do think that my skill set of shooting really translates to a lot of job opportunities.
Eric Demers:It translates to a lot of different brands of basketball in the G League and the NBA being one of them.
Eric Demers:So when I got to the G League, it was just definitely like, it became like, all right, I come from college shooting 20 times a day a game too.
Eric Demers:Maybe I'll get three shots this game.
Eric Demers:So just trying to learn and understand and just.
Eric Demers:It was a roller coaster of playing around with pregame preparation.
Eric Demers:How am I going to get my mind right, my body right, to never knowing when my name's going to get called, but when it does get called, how am I going to perform at the highest level?
Eric Demers:And I think it didn't really click for me until my second year in the G League where I'd start four games and then I wouldn't play for three games and then I don't go until the second quarter or the fourth quarter.
Eric Demers:But to be able to go in there and no matter what the coach says, whatever the game situation may be, that I'm going to be the best version of myself.
Eric Demers:In that second year in the G League, I shot about 54% from the three point line and just kind of wearing a bunch of different hats, whether that be a starter role player, just being a cheerleader at times, but.
Eric Demers:And now I'm back to trying to find my way to get out of that shell of all right, I'm only going to take really good shots.
Eric Demers:And now it's like, all right, I'm on one of two Americans on a, on a roster here in Spain and I'm called upon to be one of the, the lead offensive players.
Eric Demers:So how can I get back to what I call like my Gordon mentality of being a little bit more aggressive, maybe a little less efficient, but I kind of is Stuck in my ways of all right, I'm only hunting good shots here.
Eric Demers:It's kind of made my way as a professional to be like, all right, I need to be a little more aggressive at times.
Eric Demers:So it's something I'm still learning.
Eric Demers:But I do think it's very important piece to kind of be able to be able to get into multiple rules because it's only going to open more opportunity for you to play one and get more jobs for sure.
Mike Cleansing:All right, so tell me about the decision before this season to leave the G league, leave the U.S.
Mike Cleansing:go overseas, sign a contract with the team in Spain that you're playing for.
Mike Cleansing:What does that decision making process look like for you?
Mike Cleansing:Obviously you've got a family now that you have to think about and obviously you're talking that over with your wife.
Mike Cleansing:So just kind of take us behind the scenes of what that conversation was like between you and your wife and making the decision to.
Mike Cleansing:To leave the.
Mike Cleansing:Leave the U.S.
Mike Cleansing:leave the G League and go over and go to Spain.
Eric Demers:Yeah, I think it was just kind of scratching the itch there.
Eric Demers:I had opportunities to return to the G League on more NBA training camp deals.
Eric Demers:Like I signed my second year and then just having conversations with.
Eric Demers:I've had it with the Celtics, I had it with the spurs of like them transitioning me to work for them someday.
Eric Demers:And those were conversations they were very intrigued by and open to.
Eric Demers:But I always would have regret if I never tried to come overseas and just kind of knock on the door and see what.
Eric Demers:What basketball would do for me here, as well as family experience and life experience of getting.
Eric Demers:Just to be able to travel the world for free.
Eric Demers:So we made the decision that those networking, the relationships in the NBA and the G League are always going to be there and we really wanted to give basketball an opportunity.
Eric Demers:I still feel like I have stuff left in the tank I wasn't ready to transition to.
Eric Demers:Whether that be like coaching, player development, front office, or so be it.
Eric Demers:It's something I wanted to continue to play.
Eric Demers:So was able to come to Spain last year.
Eric Demers:We had a daughter in Spain, got to live on a beautiful island in the Mediterranean, live a life not many get to.
Eric Demers:And then to be able to come back to Spain this year with my family of four, my two kids and my wife and just be able to experience a different culture, a different city.
Eric Demers:We are all kind of embracing it at this point.
Eric Demers:It's a unique experience for all.
Eric Demers:My wife is online trying to make friends with other basketball wives and has been able to create a pretty unique and cool community of these women.
Eric Demers:And then I'm obviously locked in on the basketball portion.
Eric Demers:And then my son is three and he's been to more countries, more states, and experience way more than most people have.
Eric Demers:So just to be able to share these memories with.
Eric Demers:With my family is super unique.
Eric Demers:We have the rest of our lives to kind of settle down and kind of live an ordinary life.
Eric Demers:So just, why not step out the box and do something that makes us uncomfortable?
Eric Demers:Right now has been something that's really paid off for us and we're enjoying it.
Mike Cleansing:Yeah, absolutely.
Mike Cleansing:I would think again, when you're young, that's the opportunity to go and do that.
Mike Cleansing:And like you said, 10 years from now, that experience won't be available to you.
Mike Cleansing:You can still go and get a job in the NBA or get a job in coaching or wherever it is that you want to end up.
Mike Cleansing:You can certainly do that 10 years from now.
Mike Cleansing:You certainly can't play professional basketball 10 years from now.
Mike Cleansing:Well, you probably can still be playing 10 years from now, but not if you take a break for sure.
Mike Cleansing:Break and try to come back.
Mike Cleansing:That's not happening.
Mike Cleansing:So what's been the biggest adjustment for you playing overseas in terms of just culturally trying to adapt to whether it's a new style of basketball, whether it's your coaching staff speaking Spanish.
Mike Cleansing:How does.
Mike Cleansing:How does it all work in terms of your team?
Eric Demers:They speak English, luckily.
Eric Demers:It's kind of.
Eric Demers:I feel bad because they really speak English for about two guys or three guys on the team.
Eric Demers:And it's like we're coming to your.
Eric Demers:Into your area, your territory, and you're kind of bending over backwards for us.
Eric Demers:But it's a different playstyle.
Eric Demers:It's something somewhere.
Eric Demers:I did not like Spanish basketball when I first got here.
Eric Demers:I was, like, very frustrated by it, how tactical it is, and team oriented.
Eric Demers:And I was struggling defensively and I was like, in the G League, we just switch everything and we just play one on one defense.
Eric Demers:And I was pretty successful at that, given I'm 6, 2 playing against NBA athletes.
Eric Demers:And then to come over here, I feel like I was getting cooked and killed by these guys.
Eric Demers:And I'm like, these guys are nowhere near talented.
Eric Demers:The levels I've played at, like, it was super frustrating.
Eric Demers:But I've come to love the style of basketball, the team basketball.
Eric Demers:I'm a.
Eric Demers:I'm a team guy and I.
Eric Demers:We have, I think five or six guys over here on my team right now, averaging double figures.
Eric Demers:So the ball moves everyone kind of gets their turn.
Eric Demers:And it's just a beautiful style of basketball, and I've kind of embraced it to this point.
Mike Cleansing:What's your favorite city that you've been to in Spain?
Eric Demers:Oh, goodness.
Eric Demers:It's unique because we lived on an island, so we were.
Eric Demers:I had the island experience.
Eric Demers:Now we're kind of in central Spain, about an hour north of Madrid.
Eric Demers:Barcelona is definitely probably my favorite.
Eric Demers:And it's kind of the.
Eric Demers:Not quite like la, but it's a.
Eric Demers:It's a bigger city on the coast, which is super neat.
Eric Demers:And then Madrid is kind of like the New York City of Spain of just.
Eric Demers:Just being massive and ton of people kind of like times squareish.
Eric Demers:But Barcelona is definitely my favorite stop so far.
Mike Cleansing:Got it.
Mike Cleansing:All right, final two part question.
Mike Cleansing:When you look ahead over the next year or two, what do you see as being your biggest challenge?
Mike Cleansing:And then number two, when you think about what you get to do every day playing basketball professionally right now overseas, what brings you the most joy?
Mike Cleansing:So your biggest challenge and then your biggest joy.
Eric Demers:I think the biggest challenge is doing this life with a family.
Eric Demers:As much joy as it brings me, there's a lot more that goes into the decision making of the trajectory in my career.
Eric Demers:I can't just chase money.
Eric Demers:It has to be somewhere safe where my.
Eric Demers:Where my kids can live, my wife feels comfortable and I'm traveling, I'm on the road and things like that.
Eric Demers:So navigating that in the future, it will definitely be a challenge for me because I do have the.
Eric Demers:I do have the itch to, whether it be play at the highest league over here, make the most money possible.
Eric Demers:But at the end of the day, it's.
Eric Demers:Sometimes we have to sacrifice, whether it be money or location or this or that, for the greater good of my family.
Eric Demers:So that's probably the biggest challenge as we continue to chase what's to come.
Eric Demers:But at the end of the day, I just say I just want to reach my potential.
Eric Demers:I don't know if that's euroleague over here.
Eric Demers:Coming back to the States.
Eric Demers:It's just if I can continue to put my best foot forward and reach my potential on the court, then I won't have any regret when it's time to walk away.
Eric Demers:And then just the biggest joy that comes with this job.
Eric Demers:I think it's just the opportunity it brings, not only for me, but for my family.
Eric Demers:Just the life experience for.
Eric Demers:For family to be able to come over and visit their group, like my parents here and my wife's parents able to come over and visit their grandkids halfway around the world and just see how they adapt to the culture and, and things like that.
Eric Demers:So I think the, the biggest joy will just be continuing to explore with my family and, and seeing what other cities and what other countries were able to experience in the next few years.
Mike Cleansing:All right, before we get out, Eric, I want to give you a chance to share.
Mike Cleansing:How can people reach out to you, connect with you, whether you want to share, social media, email, whatever you feel comfortable with.
Mike Cleansing:And then after you do that, I'll jump back in and wrap things up.
Eric Demers:Yeah, I think Instagram's definitely the easiest way.
Eric Demers:Eric.demers21 I always tell people I'm kind of an open book and I think there has been a lot of Division 3 or smaller school type, whether it be Low Major, Division 1 or Division 2 players that, that do reach out to me, which is not a pat on my own back.
Eric Demers:But I do want to help people that are out there that have the same desires as me to kind of network and make those experiences happen for them and help them get their foot in the door.
Eric Demers:Whether it be working in basketball or potentially playing at the professional level.
Mike Cleansing:Eric cannot thank you enough for taking the time out of your schedule this morning or this afternoon in your case and really appreciate that.
Mike Cleansing:Excited to be able to have an opportunity to talk to you and to everyone out there.
Mike Cleansing:Thanks for listening and we will catch you on our next episode.
Mike Cleansing:Thanks.
Coaching Portfolio Guide:Your first impression is everything when applying for a new coaching job.
Coaching Portfolio Guide:A professional coaching Portfolio is the tool that highlights your coaching achievements and philosophies and most of all helps separate you and your abilities from the other other applicants.
Coaching Portfolio Guide:The Coaching Portfolio Guide is an instructional membership based website that helps you develop a personalized portfolio.
Coaching Portfolio Guide:Each section of the Portfolio Guide provides detailed instructions on how to organize your portfolio in a professional manner.
Coaching Portfolio Guide:The guide also provides sample documents for each section of your portfolio that you can copy, modify and add to your personal portfolio.
Coaching Portfolio Guide:As a Hoop Heads pod listener, you can get your Coaching Portfolio Guide for just $25.
Coaching Portfolio Guide:Visit coachingportfolioguide.com hoop heads to learn more.
Eric Demers:Thanks for listening to the Hoop Heads.
Mike Cleansing:Podcast presented by Head Start Basketball.
