Ben Thomas has a knack for signing talents that are lesser known to the British basketball community and building them into superstars, but his marquee signing for this off-season is somebody very much known to the fanbase on these shores.
Texas native T.J Atwood’s debut campaign in the topflight of the British game was spectacular last term. A double-double machine with exceptional efficiency on both ends of the floor, he’s a huge pick-up for the Cheshire Phoenix, and we caught up with him ahead of the season tip-off on Friday to find out more about his move.
“I spoke to Ben a lot over the summer and there were a bunch of reasons why I felt like this was a great fit for me. He has clear expectations of me and the role he wants me to play, so that alongside the opportunity to build something really exciting here with Cheshire was a huge draw for me.
“After what this team did last year, we’re going from being the hunter to the hunted and we’ve got to embrace that. Everybody else’s expectations of us are going to be higher than they have been previously and it’s a challenge we’ve got to look forward to in living up to that.
“The summer has been busy for everybody so this season is going to be very unpredictable, but we’re not going to worry about anything other than ourselves and at the end of the season we’ll see who the last team is to be standing.”
Making every moment matter
The box score always makes for pretty reading if you’re a fan of Atwood. Usually he’ll stuff the stat sheet as he gives his all for his guys, but even if those points, rebounds and assists aren’t ticking over as he’d like, the efficiency numbers are always mind-blowing.
“There’s a lot of guys out there who could get up a bunch of shots, but I never wanted to be that,” Atwood said, reflecting on his approach to the game.
“My focus was always on being different to the average player and in doing so I wanted to make every single movement worth it and make it challenging for the other team to defend. I became very efficient and well-rounded that way, and I’ve tried to build on that growing up.
“I pride myself on being efficient on both ends of the floor. I can score, but I want more than that – I want the rebounds, I want to help my teammates get involved, I want to do the little things to make their lives easier. Anything I can do to bring this team together and be successful I’m going to do it, whatever it takes.”
Overcoming obstacles
A stellar collegiate career at Lamar in NCAA Division I saw the forward improve his performances and outputs in pretty much every category from year to year, setting up a nice platform for the American to bounce into the professional game after graduation in 2020.
The Covid-19 pandemic had other ideas however, as Atwood detailed the difficulties presented as he tried to chase his dream in those times.
“Graduating college around the time of the pandemic was a big challenge. It’s tough getting a professional contract at the best of times, but to try and do it whilst you have all the restrictions and everything happening is another level of difficult.
“I knew my time would come at some point, I just had to stay patient and keep believing in the work I was putting in to get there. I’m thankful that I got that first opportunity and I’ve never looked back.
“The game is full of surprises on and off the court and I’m thankful that it’s taken me to a lot of places to the point where I’m now in a great country with a really good team and looking forward to what’s ahead this season. I have a lot to be thankful for.”