Eric Demarqua Maynor (born June 11, 1987) is an American former professional basketball player and current assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association. He played college basketball for Virginia Commonwealth University. As a senior, he averaged 22.4 points, 6.2 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game in the 2008–09 season.
Maynor was drafted by the Utah Jazz of the NBA in 2009. He has also played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers.
Early years
Eric Demarqua Maynor was born June 11, 1987, in Raeford, North Carolina, the third of four children of George Maynor and Barbara Robinson. Maynor's father was a former collegiate basketball player at East Carolina University and was a fourth-round selection of the Chicago Bulls in the 1979 NBA draft.
High school career
Maynor began at Hoke County High School in Raeford, then transferred to Westover High School in neighboring Fayetteville for his senior year to play alongside his friend and AAU teammate De'shaune Griffin. Maynor led the team to the North Carolina state championship game, scoring 25 point in a loss to North Mecklenburg High School on March 14, 2005. For his outstanding performance during the season Maynor was named to the 2004/05 North Carolina All State Basketball team by the sports website NCPreps.com.
College career
Eric Maynor was a four-year player in the men's basketball program at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). He graduated from VCU with a degree in Sports Management.
Freshman season (2005–06) Maynor played in 29 games as a freshman at VCU, cracking the team's starting lineup by the end of the season. Maynor averaged 4.7 points and 2.2 assists in an average of 15.7 minutes per game during this first collegiate campaign.
Sophomore season (2006–07) On March 15, 2007, Maynor scored 22 points, including the game-winning shot, in VCU's victory over Duke in the first round of the 2007 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. Maynor's last-minute heroics are also what helped VCU to overcome George Mason in the 2007 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) championship game.
Over the summer of 2007, Maynor was selected to represent the United States in the Pan American Games, alongside D. J. White and Michael Beasley. Maynor was only able to play two games for the American Pan-Am team, however, before he was forced from further action by a hip injury. Maynor was also named one of the 50 pre-season candidates for the men's 2007–08 John R. Wooden Award, the nation's most prestigious college basketball honor.
Junior season (2007–08) Maynor helped VCU win the CAA regular-season title, though the team fell in the semi-finals of the conference tournament to William & Mary. He was selected as the CAA Player of the Year and selected to the All-CAA first team. The Rams failed to reach the NCAA Tournament and went on to play in the NIT, where they lost in the first round against the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Senior season (2008–09) During the 2008–09 season, Eric Maynor became VCU's all-time leader in assists and in made free throws. On February 28, 2009, Maynor became the leading scorer in VCU history with a floater against Georgia State. As of March 10, 2009, he had scored a school record 1,929 points. Maynor also led VCU to a second CAA title during his career, scoring 25 points in a 71–50 victory over George Mason on March 9, 2009, at the Richmond Coliseum. The Rams went on to the 2009 NCAA Tournament but lost to UCLA when Maynor missed a buzzer-beater to win the game.
Professional career
NBA
Utah Jazz (2009)
Maynor was drafted 20th overall by the Utah Jazz in the 2009 NBA draft. He became the first VCU player ever selected in the first round of the NBA draft.
Maynor signed a two-year contract with the Jazz on July 1, 2009, and made $1.3 million in his rookie season. Although he was to back up Deron Williams, Maynor had a positive outlook on the situation. When asked in an interview with RealCollegeBasketball.com what he thought about coming off the bench in Utah, Maynor replied, "Feel real good about it... I'm getting a chance to learn from some of the best".
Oklahoma City Thunder (2009–2013)