Transitioning to the life of a professional basketball player certainly isn’t as easy as Leicester’s Jaren Holmes has made it look, but the 25-year-old has taken to the challenge like a duck to the waters of Lake Erie, Michigan, near where the American grew up.
Leading Rob Paternostro’s Leicester Riders
in points (14.1) and steals (1.3) per game so far this season, Holmes has been
incredibly consistent in a debut professional campaign devoid of the ups and
downs in performances that one might expect from a rookie.
Holmes has scored in double figures in all but three of his 14 outings for Leicester so far, headlined by a 28-point, five-rebound, four-assist masterclass against the Seriös Group Newcastle Eagles, but he’s not the only sporting star in his family, as his brother William plays Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels.
We sat down with one of the British Basketball League’s newest stars to discuss his journey to Leicester’s Morningside Arena and it soon became apparent as to why the 6’4” guard – and his brother – were always destined to pursue a career in professional sport.
“My first love was baseball, but I was just
naturally better at basketball,” Holmes said.
“As a kid, I always had a basketball in one hand and a baseball bat or glove in the other. I thought I was going to try to go pro in baseball, but then I found out my brother was better than me, so I made the executive decision to choose a sport he’s not better than me at!
“I come from a family of teachers and athletes. My grandfather played basketball, American football and baseball in college for Washington State. He was also a State-Championship-winning athletics coach. My grandmother was a gym teacher who always had me outside playing different sports whenever my mum was at work.
“Then there’s my mum! She isn’t freakishly
athletic, but she is an absolute sports junkie. She was the son my grandfather
never had, so as soon as I was brought into this world, I think it was a given
that I would be playing sports for the rest of my life.”
Leicester’s
very own Woj Bomb
Eagle-eyed viewers of League and Leicester’s social media may have noticed a certain Adrian Wojnarowski lurking in the comments section of posts relating to the Riders’ new 6’4” guard, and that’s because ‘Woj’ has been a huge supporter of the young Holmes through his formative years.
Wojnarowski is one of the biggest names in basketball — famous for being the first to reveal many of the biggest and best stories in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as ESPN’s Senior NBA Insider. Holmes detailed how he and ‘Woj’ became friends:
“That’s my mentor. Honestly, I come to him
about almost anything and everything. I know he’s super busy but he always
makes time for me and the relationship we’ve built up over the years truly
means a lot to me.
“We hit it off when I was committing to St Bonaventure University. We had a great conversation about certain things the college had to offer and we just became very close to that. I’m also very interested in sports broadcasting, which is what I have my degree in, so I look up to him. Once I’m done playing, that’s what I want to do with my career.
“Woj is a true friend. I look up to him every single day. Every time I get a text or a phone call, I always say he’s just a kind and spirited person who genuinely cares, and I care about him and his family as well. I’m just very grateful that I’ve had him in my life.”
All roads lead
to the Riders
Despite being one of the biggest sports in the world, the basketball community is incredibly tight-knit at the professional level – somebody at your favourite club or league is guaranteed to know somebody else on the other side of the planet, and that has certainly been the case for Holmes.
The 25-year-old discussed how he has settled in Leicester, why the support of Coach Paternostro has been instrumental in securing such a strong start to his career, and revealed the former Rider who assured Holmes that the Morningside Arena would be the best spot to begin his professional adventure.
“The League has been great — full of fierce competitors, very close games and it’s been all that I can ever dream of, honestly. I’ve loved my time in Leicester so far. Coach Rob and I hit it off immediately, we have a great relationship – he and Woj are also good friends!
“He knows what I want to achieve in my
career. My former coach at Iowa State, JR Blount, played for Leicester back in
2010 and he told me that playing for Rob in my rookie season would be a
tremendous opportunity for me, and it has certainly been the case so far as I’ve
really enjoyed my time here.
“I just want to make an impression here in the city and leave a mark on this organisation as far as my character, my work ethic and my ability to play. I have a lot of personal goals that I write down in my journal and keep to myself, but I just want to be a consistent player that can be called upon whenever I’m needed.”
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