Ok some guys are living and playing in their own galaxy with Lebron, Luka and Ja to just name a few, but the idea that there are many many many guys in Europe that could play in the NBA and never will has been a fact for a while. There are only two little roster spots and way to many talented guys grinding overseas always having that dream of someday making the NBA. I’m not saying that Carlos Medlock (183-PG-1987, college: EMU) could of played in the NBA, but that he is very very talented is something that he proved in his illustrious 11 year career. He is one of those guys that reached the top leagues in Germany, Greece and Poland, but also had to pay his dues always having to prove himself playing in some second divisions as well. In the season when he reached the first division in Germany with Braunschweig, he demonstrated over and over that he couldn’t only stick it to the best teams in Germany, but that he not only held his own against ex NBA players, but belonged to the best on the floor. For example late in the season in 2016-2017 he played FC Bayern Munich and was the game’s top scorer with 17 points and dished out 6 assists as he outbattled guys like future NBA player Maxi Kleber, ex NBA player Nick Johnson and Lebron James friend Dru Joyce. In another game against Brose Bamberg he was the game’s top scorer again with 21 points and dished out 7 assists as he outbattled future NBA players like Darius Miller, Daniel Theis and Nicolo Melli. In another game against top team Alba Berlin he scored 19 points belonging to the best on the court as ex NBA player Peyton Siva, future NBA player Malcolm Miller and two time NCAA champ Niels Giffey were on the court. These games weren’t a rarity that season, but one could of yelled bang, bang, bang, because they happened so often. Saying bang, bang, bang reminded me of Elane on Seinfeld yelling the Fake, Fake, Fake Fake in the famous episode called Mango from 1993. The American proved over and over that season that he belonged to the best in the easyCredit BBL and that the NBA surely has many talented guys, but that there are enough guys overseas who can hold their own against them. Medlock had to prove himself his whole career and showed over and over that he belongs everywhere that he has played. Despite him probably having his best season as a professional in Germany in the easyCredit BBL, he had a logical answer as to why he wasn’t at his total best that season. ‘You can add Ulm to list as well. But no I don’t think that was me at my best. Because it took sometime for me to adjust to the BBL coming from Pro A. But once adjusted my talented started to show a lot more. If I would’ve came back for a second season there you would’ve seen Carlos Medlock at his best’, warned Carlos Medlock. The American announced his retirement in 2022 after 11 professional season.

Carlos Medlock who lists Dionte Christmas as being his toughest foe in the NCAA was a 35 year old 183cm point guard that began his basketball career at Murray-Wright high school in Detroit, Michigan. He then received a scholarship to Eastern Michigan (NCAA )where he played from 2005-2010, but did miss one year because of injury. He played a total of 110 NCAA games and underwent a fine development. In his four year career at Eastern Michigan he averaged 13,0ppg, 2,0rpg and 3,0apg. He had many great games and memories there, but his finest wasn’t on the floor. ‘Being at Eastern Michigan was the best time of my life. I still have close friends with all my teammates from EMU. My son being born and meeting my wife there is my fondest moments’, remembered Carlos Medlock. He still talks to his ex teammates John Bowler and Nick Freer who both played in Germany and in his senior year he averaged 16.9ppg, 3.5rpg, 3.8apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 38.5%, 3PT: 33.5%, FT: 80.5%. Some of the achievements that he got there were Mid-American Conference All-Freshman Team , MAC Freshman of the Year by FOXSports.com, All-MAC Honorable Mention , MAC West Division Regular Season Co-Runner-Up , All-MAC 2nd Team , and NABC Division I All-District 14 2nd Team He knows that he couldn’t have had all his success there without the guidance of head coach Charles Ramsey. ‘He taught me how to hold myself accountable for my own actions’, stated Carlos Medlock. One teammate that he will never forget is fellow guard Jarred Axon who he had extra battles against in practice. ‘Me and Jared never played one on one. But I did beat Jarred in a one on one shooting game in practice which he would never admit to’, commented Carlos Medlock.

The Michigan native who lists Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan on his personal NBA Mount Rushmore began his professional career in 2010 with the Utah Flash (D-League) playing 3 games averaging 4.3ppg, 1.3rpg. His stay was very short. He is more than positive that length had nothing to do with him not breaking through in the D-League. ‘ I don’t have no memories there but some cool teammates. No, I never felt I was too small. That just wasn’t a good situation for me’, stressed Carlos Medlock. He was teammates with NBA player Orien Greene who shared one big similarity with him. He knew how to score. ‘Orien Green was a bucket. I haven’t seen or talked to him since I left the Utah Flash hope all is well with him’, said Carlos Medlock. He then finished his rookie season in England and proved right away that his game could adapt right away overseas. He played for the Guildford Heat (United Kingdom-BBL) playing 17 games averaging 14.9ppg, 3.8rpg, Assists-4 (4.6apg), 1.7spg, FGP: 48.0%, 3PT: 36.9%, FT: 64.1%. He also right away got a taste of what wining is about as he helped the Heat reach the BBL cup final. ‘I got there 3 months left in the season. So for me it was for film and to build my name’, added Carlos Medlock. He scored in double figures in 17 of 20 games including netting 25 points against Worthing T and 22 points against the Mersey Tigers. He played his second professional season with t U.M.F. Skallagrimur Borganes (Iceland-Dominos League) where he was the leagues second top scorer playing 24 games: averaging 27.2ppg, 4.4rpg, 4.8apg, Steals-5 (2.3spg), FGP: 58.1%, 3PT: 36.9%, FT: 78.9%. He was smart enough to know that this would be a make or break season for his career. ‘I remember saying to myself. If you don’t kill this year you will have a bad career’, warned Carlos Medlock. He scored 30 points or more in 9 games including 43 points against Thor Thorl and 40 points against Fjolnir. Iceland is a country Americans love to go to, because they can use it as a flatform to higher leagues and that is exactly what he did moving to Germany where he would play the next four seasons and toping it off in his last finally reaching the easyCredit BBL after paying his dues once again in the German second division called Pro A. It is only logical that Germany will always have a special place in his heart. ‘Germany will always be my second home. What I enjoyed the most about being there was winning lol. My wife and kids had a great time there as well which was key for me’, stressed Carlos Medlock. In 2013-2014 he had his first tour of duty in Germany with the Crailsheim Merlins (Germany-ProA) averaging 17.3ppg, 2.9rpg, 4.6apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 49.6%, 3PT: 41.3%, FT: 82.2%. Even if he exploded against Science City Jena with 39 points, it was actually his 20 points, 9 assists and 0 turnovers he remembers most fondly, but one can’t discredit his incredible scoring game against Jena. ‘It was just one of those game where I went into that zone. At the time they were the number 1 in league. It was an important game that we needed to win’, warned Carlos Medlock. In Crailsheim he was teammates with Yorman Polas who was still paying his dues. A few years later he reached the BBL and has been there ever since. He is one of those special players that he will never forget. ‘Man I’m very proud of Yorman. He really made a name for himself in the BBL. When his career is over he will be one of the best defensive players ever to play in the BBL’, expressed Carlos Medlock.

The guard who had many big battles in Germany remembers guys like Josh Mayo, Carlton Guyton, Richie Williams, Ahmad Smith, Garrett Sims, Peyton Siva, Shy Ely, and Brandon Hobbs as the toughest next joined s.Oliver Wurzburg (Pro A) in 2014-2015 averaging 13.5ppg, 2.9rpg, 4.5apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 41.1%, FT: 75.4%. He came to Wurzburg to show that he wasn’t only a scoring point guard but also could run a team. ‘Yes that was my mindset going into that season to show I’m more than just a scorer. Wuerzburg might’ve been my best experience overseas. I loved playing there’, remembered Carlos Medlock. He had some massive games in wins over Baunach with 26 points and 25 points against the Hamburg Towers. He was instrumental in the club beating Gotha and Hamburg in the playoffs, but suffered a bitter 77-76 loss to Giessen in a one game final, but the club was still regulated. It was sad and a bit surprising that Wurzburg didn’t retain his services for the BBL, but in the next season he conducted the same trick with SC Rasta Vechta (Germany-ProA) helping the team to the BBL averaging 14.1ppg, 2.2rpg, Assists-3 (6.1apg), 1.4spg, FGP: 52.0%, 3PT: 29.9%, FT: 78.5%. This was without a doubt possibly his most enjoyable season in his professional career. ‘ Andreas Wagner did a great job putting that group together. We all had a great time with each other off the court which showed on the court. Plus that year it was just me and my son there together because my wife stayed home to finish school. So just spending that time with him made that season special in itself’, stated Carlos Medlock. He was teammates with two real basketball dinosaurs Derick Allen and Chase Griffin. Allen played until almost 40 and Griffin recently retired also. With them especially with Allen, he saw a totally different dimension with how work ethic really works. ‘Yeah both of them had great work ethic. But Derrick Allen’s work ethic was on a different level. I never met or seen anyone that worked like he did and it was crazy to see’, remembered Carlos Medlock. In his four years in Germany he played a total of 142 games and scored in double figures in 118 games.

He like many people around the globe saw the sequel to the classic Coming To America and is content knowing the original was better took a change in scenery after Germany in 2017-2018 splitting time with Rethymno Cretan Kings (Greece-A1) averaging 8.2ppg, 1.6rpg, 2.4apg, 2FGP: 35.3%, 3FGP: 28.6%, FT: 78.6%, and then moved to King Szczecin (Poland-PLK) playing 24 games averaging 15.8ppg, 2.3rpg, 3.1apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 45.9%, 3PT: 44.0%, FT: 77.5%. In Greece he was able to duel against one of the top basketball institutions in Europe with Olympiakos where he played against so many ex NBA guys like Hollis Thompson and Brian Roberts. But it wasn’t that big of an eye opener since he had seen so many NBA guys before that experience. ‘ During my career in the summer I played against a lot of NBA talent. So playing against them was like another game. I wasn’t impressed by someone’s name or where the played before. But playing against that team I really got to see a bunch of high level talented guys coming together to sacrifice their individual abilities for the greater of the team to win’, warned Carlos Medlock. In Poland he was consistent as usual scoring in double figures in 21 of 24 games including scoring 28 points against Trefl and 25 points against BM Slam Stal. In 2018-2019 he had his first experience in Turkey with Karesi Spor (Turkey-TBL) averaging 17.4ppg, 4.0rpg, Assists-2 (7.3apg), Steals-1 (2.1spg), FGP: 52.5%, 3PT: 36.4%, FT: 66.5%. This was another great example of how he dominated a European second league. ‘Being that it was my first year playing and that league I wanted to leave a mark. On the court it was a lot of fun playing with those guys. We played at a fast pace which was a strength to my game and it showed within my stats’, stated Carlos Medlock. He scored in double figures in 26 of 29 games including massive games against Yalova Bld with 36 points and recorded 28 points against Ankara DSI. He had another strong season in 2019-2020 heading back to Poland to play with Trefl Sopot (Poland-EBL) averaging 14.3ppg, 2.3rpg, 6.0apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 49.7%, 3PT: 35.0%, FT: 81.7%. He scored in double figures in 16 of 21 games in the Covid short end season. He registered 24 points against Polpharma and 21 points against Legia. Last season he returned back to Turkey to play in the second division again this time for Bornova Belediye (Turkey-TBL) playing 30 games averaging 16.6ppg, 2.2rpg, 5.4apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 54.4%, 3PT: 41.8%, FT: 78.1%. It was the second time for him in Turkey to play in the second league and not get a chance in the first league. In Germany he had to play in the second league three straight years before getting his opportunity in the BBL. Playing so often in second class instead of first class was very taxing, but one he was able to master. ‘ It was very frustrating at times. Especially in Germany I felt like I was the best player in the second division 3 years in a row. I still wasn’t getting the respect from those BBL teams and when I was in the first division I still displayed the same talent that I was showing when I was playing in the second division. But I had to prove myself my whole life so I was used to it’, stressed Carlos Medlock. Once again he was very consistent scoring in double figures in 29 of 30 games. One could of given him an extra middle name consistent. ‘ Being consistent was something I pride myself on. I just wanted to show that I can play in any system and still be valuable. Learning how to adjust to your teammates was very important. Meaning learning their strength and once I did that it was easy for me to run the show’, remembered Carlos Medlock. He blasted Mamak for 31 points and hit Gemlik for 23 points.

So now let’s fast forward to 2022 as he didn’t have to make life difficult for himself naming only 5 best teammates of all-time, but gave much love to Terrance Watson Antonio Payton, Drell Lewis, Anthony Sparks, Tone Barry, Travis Lewis, Brandon Bowdry, Jesse Bunkley, Zane Gay, Jared Axon, John Bowler, Marvin Skipper, Jay Higgins, JR Sims, Jamil Harris, Antonio Green, Matt Balkema, Overseas teammates Josten Crow, Stevie Johnson, Jonathan Moore, Yorman Polas, Frankie Sullivan, Maine Mallett, Jason Dourisseau, Jeremy Dunbar, Sammy Givens,Carlton Guyton, Dyshawn Pierre, Sid Theis, Tommy Klepeisz, Jamal Boykin, Tim Schwartz, Darius Theus, Derrick Allen, Don Lawson, Devon Gibson, Chase Griffin Josh Young, Travis Warech, Kosta Karamatskos, Phil Frie, Cam Ayers, Nana Foulland, Hugh Robinson, Jeff Roberson, Malcolm Armstead, Stefan Moody, Travis Daniels and there are many more that he forgot. The last 2 years were difficult for everyone living and playing through Covid as he was active in Poland, Turkey and Germany and he will never forget what really stood out during these tough times. ‘The biggest thing on the court was not having fans was an adjustment for me after having that energy for so long. Off the court was not being able to enjoy the city because of all the restrictions’, remembered Carlos Medlock. The last team he played with was Rasta Vechta a team where he had helped move up to the BBL in 2016. His stay was a short one as he played only 1 game. ‘It’s wasn’t tough leaving Vechta at all. 2016 was a great time. I wish I could’ve said the same about a second time there. But the fans there was great. I enjoyed playing in front on them’, stated Carlos Medlock. There were older guys who could have played longer the last few years, but ultimately decided to call it quits because of Covid, but for him it wasn’t that. ‘Covid played no part in my retirement. I had an offer to play somewhere else just didn’t take the deal. Dealing with that last team kind of took the love for the game away. It was a decision I felt was best for me and my family. Also just knowing it was time’, stressed Carlos Medlock. Sometimes retired players need some time off to regroup and think about the future, but he didn’t need much time as he is already active in life after the game as he is training kids in his area. The guard who believes Jordan is the greatest of all-time, but thinks Lebron has more of an effect on the culture now than Jordan did then was a perfect role model for those special guys that are off the radar. He never got gifts as a player but had to work his butt off for every opportunity that he got. He gave fans everywhere he played joyous moments and hopes that he will be remembered in a special way. ‘ I was a player that gave 110% every time he stepped on a court and off the court he was just as cool as his game’, stressed Carlos Medlock. I will also never forget his play and how he never gave up and was able to beat all odds. . I only interviewed him 4 times in his career, but every talk was always very interesting as he gave great insight about his career. It is also always nice to be appreciated in some way by the player as well. ‘I won’t forget that you were patient and you have done some great write ups and interviews on me so I really appreciate the support you have given me so think and I will always remember that’, said Carlos Medlock. He was as classy off the court as on the court. I’m sure he will continue to do great things in the future off the court.