Pic credit: Nina Sander

Lucas Mayer (185-PG-1999) is a 26 year old 185cm guard playing his second season with Bozic Estriche Knights Kirchheim and helped lead them into the Pro A final. He began his basketball career with the VfB 1900 Giessen Pointers (2.Regionalliga) and also played with the ROTH Energie Basketball-Akademie Giessen (NBBL). He then played 2 seasons with the EPG Baskets Koblenz. He then played a season with BG Hessing Leitershofen (ProB) making his Pro B break through averaging 15.5ppg, 4.5rpg, 4.5apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 54.9%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 74.8%. In 2023-2024, he made his pro A break through with the Gartenzaun24 Baskets Paderborn (ProA) averaging 11.1ppg, 3.3rpg, 3.8apg, FGP: 52.5%, 3PT: 35.6%, FT: 62.7%. He joined the Bozic Estriche Knights Kirchheim (ProA) in 2024-2025 and averaged 10.0ppg, 3.8rpg, 1.9apg, FGP: 53.7%, 3PT: 26.1%, FT: 73.4%. He spoke to germanhoops.com after defeating Giessen 89-85 in game 4 and reaching the Pro A final.

Thanks Lucas for talking to germanhoops.com. Congrats on the massive 89-85 win in game 4 against Giessen and reaching the Pro A final. How good did it feel last night when the buzzer sounded?

I was relieved when the buzzer sounded. I was really very proud of the team especially after our slow start into the season and our ups and downs that we had had. It was a very special feeling winning in my home town.

You have witnessed the incredible development of the Bozic Estriche Knights Kirchheim the last 2 years. If someone had told you in August 2025 that the team would reach the Pro A final what would you have said?

That is a crazy statement. We really went through a lot. Last season we just missed reaching the playoffs. Our goal this season was to reach the playoffs and win the first round cup game. I mean the competition level is very high in the Pro A. We don´t have the biggest budget and there were many teams with the goal of reaching the playoffs and with higher budgets. I would have thought ok there is a possibility of reaching the final, but I would of seen it more as unrealistic.

Does this big success still have a different taste simply because the team will remain in the Pro A?

No it doesn´t. At the end of the day we are all competitors and want to win no matter what the circumstances might be. You never know how many chances like this will happen in a career. Our will to win the Pro A title is huge

What was the main focus of the team coming to Giessen? How big was the self confidence having already won there in game 2?

Yes we had a lot of self confidence coming to game 4. We were swept badly in the regular season, but it was under different circumstances. We developed very well as a team during the regular season and reached the playoffs. That built a lot of character. Beating Gottingen in the playoffs also built character. We had a lot of respect for Giessen and knew it would be difficult, but we had that special will to win.

Giessen began well leading 7-2. Kirchheim didn´t seem shocked. Does that calmness of Igor Perovic carry over to the team?

Yes he does. We did a good job as team all season long whenever we faced adversary to never get down on ourselves. Even when we began 1-5, we never got down. People were already writing us off there. We always knew that we had potential as a team and always trusted the game plan of Igor.

Kirchheim then responded with a 11-0 run. Kirchheim then hit three pointers well. What was key in that 11-0 run for the turnaround? Did somebody on the court or bench have the right words after the slow start?

We had a clear game plan. We predicted that Giessen would play zone and we were ready for it. We did a good job creating shots and took them with a lot of confidence. There wasn´t really anyone that used words at that moment, but key was sticking to the game plan.

Kirchheim who were somewhat undermined on the glass outrebounded Giessen from the start. It really felt like Kirchheim wanted it more than Giessen from that stand point until the end?

I think so. Igor said all season long that if we set the tone from the get go and are more physical at both ends and get rebounds, then nobody will stop us. We are very versatile and our goal each game is to dominate with our physicality. If we did that, then we had really good chances of winning.

Nicholas Bretzel made big shots, rebounds and big plays all game long. Where would the team be without him?

He is a very big difference with his presence under the glass. He makes it very difficult for the opponent to get to the rim and he rebounds very well. You really notice and how much of a disadvantage we are in those areas when he doesn´t play. He is a key player for us.

You also had that special fire in your eyes right from the get go. How big is the motivation to beat Giessen since you played NBBL for them?

It is always very special for me to play in Giessen. I played my whole youth here and as a boy would watch Giessen play. It is always special to see family and friends there.

How crazy is it scoring 48 points as a team at the break and Philipp Russell having 0 points?

That was crazy. He is such a brutal player. Even when he didn´t have a great game for say 35 minutes, he is still able to dig deep down and pull another lever and step up. He has a big character and giant will to win. He makes big plays in the clutch. We always know what we will get from him in crunch-time.

Kirchheim continued to manage the lead well in the third quarter. It seemed like Tylan Pope carried the team. Did he recognize early that he had to step up with Russell not on his game?

We have showed all season long that we don´t need to rely on just one guy to score. We have our main guys, but also 4-5 can score 10-20 points. Tylan really stepped up in the playoffs with big games.

Kirchheim was up 20 points in the fourth quarter and made a furious comeback and made it close. Did Kirchheim become to sure of the win?

That is hard to say. When you play in a gym like the Ost Halle where the atmosphere is incredible, one play can really get the crowd even more involved and turn a game around. I think the fans really helped Giessen stage that comeback. But we never lost our will to win. Even with 8 minutes to play, we always believed in getting the win. We were also ready for a comeback, because in a way we expected it.

Kirchheim kept their composure in crunch-time. What else was key for getting the win at the end?

We believed in ourselves and did the little things. They had the momentum in that run and at the start, we were a bit unsure of ourselves, but overal we had the confidence and knew we would win. We made big plays and shots and sealed the win at the end with free throws.

When you look back at the series against Giessen, what was the difference?

I think that our physicality was the difference. We weren´t ready in game 1 where they dominated the boards. But we really set the tone in the last 3 wins. We did a good job trying to slow down their main guys and dominating the rebounds. Even when Giessen played good defense, they weren´t rewarded, because we still executed well.

Giessen fans complained on social media after the game that some of the Kirchheim Americans had bad unsportsmanlike conduct after the buzzer sounded. How tough is it playing in the Ost halle? Can you understand that your teammates were dealing with high emotions after a win like that?

The Giessen fans know how to provoke the opponents players. In the playoffs, the intensity is raised a bit more with frustration. I didn´t see exactly what happened, but I can understand my teammates that they would react like that after having to put up with boos and being harassed for 40 minutes.

Is Kirchheim satisfied now or does it have the fire to win the Pro A title?

We aren´t Satisfied yet. We didn´t reach the pro A final to take it on the easy shoulder. We want to win it all now. We have never won a title in the history of the organization. It would be historic and a crowning end to the season.

How special of a coach is Igor Perovic? Doesn´t he finally deserve a easyCredit BBL job offer?

Igor has deserved a BBL chance since many years. But I think that he feels very comfortable in Kirchheim. It has been incredible how he has achieved success with the little means that he is given. He deserves a chance very much in the BBL.

How was the ride home? Was their partying on the bus?

We traveled in 3 vans. The atmosphere was great in my van.

Can Bremerhaven make the upset in Hagen tonight?

It is hard to say. The series is balanced. But I think Hagen has the edge, because they proved all season long that they are very hard to beat at home. I wouldn´t rule out Bremerhaven, but I see the odds at 51% Hagen and 49% Bremerhaven.

Thanks Lucas for the chat.