One thing that hardcore easyCredit BBL fans can forever be grateful about is that there have been certain league identity figures that have played longer than most and for some stayed faithful to the same organization for their whole career in Germany. If one was really bored on a rainy afternoon in Jena and wouldn´t have a nice view on top of the 160 meter Jentower to observe the beautiful hills around the city and one wasn´t in the mood to visit one of the many city museums, one could continue to wonder how much longer the three Jena amigo´s of Derrick Allen, Julius Jenkins and Immanuel Mcelroy will still continue to play as they are in their late thirties and combined have the magical age of 113 years. Some fans place a special mark on the calendar to especially see them and others will dread the day when the first of them hangs up his sneakers. Then again there are two other BBL identity figures and legends in the making with Mr Skyliner lifer Quantez Robertson of Frankfurt and Mr Oldenburg Rickey Paulding who combined are in their 22^nd season in Germany and combined have racked up three titles and also have been combined on the floor in Europe in 961 games prior to this season. One also can´t forget German Per Guenther who could have left ratiopharm Ulm years ago for more lucrative offers, but remained where the heart wanted to be.  But who will be the future players in the easyCredit players that will have that amazing role model work ethic and discipline of a Derrick Allen and just keep playing seemingly forever and share that passion and loyalty to remain with just one team and not change teams as often as a Tom Brady has thrown to different targets which stands at 71 receivers. Ok so being with one team for so far only three seasons is nothing special as one could count more than a handful of guys who have been there that long and heck there was even Mike Morrison who played four years in Frankfurt and surely would have loved to have remained longer, but that B word always gets in the way called business. But for medi Bayreuth forward De´mon Brooks his first three years have been very special there and with the continued success of the club he might just stick around for a longer period of time. Could De´mon Brooks be Medi Bayreuth´s version of a Tez or Paulding?

Post game interview with Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and Demon Brroks after the 72-56 medi Bayreuth win in Frankfurt in 2016

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In most other towns in the United States a guy like De´mon Brooks might be a household name or atleast featured in the Wikipedia list of notable people, but when you come from a city like Charlotte, North Carolina that is the second biggest banking city in the states as well as having a list of the who´s who of the basketball world like a Michael Jordan and Steph Curry and other well known players like Bobby Jones, Jeff Mcinnis or an Antwan Jamison, you may become not more than just a side note, but rather just another name, but in reality the American is more than just a marginal note, but a very special guy that learned good values at Davidson(NCAA) and also had a stellar four year career there. You don´t always have to go to the top basketball schools in North Carolina like North Carolina or Duke, but recently Davidson has also made a name for itself as being a school that has continuously grown as a program and having NBA superstar Steph Curry play there didn´t actually hurt either. Brooks is a 24 year old 202cm forward that was born in Georgia, but grew up in Charlotte and after playing at Davidson has broadened his basketball horizon in his first two professional seasons in Italy and Israel where he didn´t win any titles, but was a consistent performer and thus starting his early growth as a professional player. This season he is playing his first season in Germany for medi Bayreuth and has helped them be the big surprise of the season having a 6-1 record which the least expected and is one of many new players that head coach Raoul Korner reeled in feeling that one of a kind character in him. Currently Brooks is first in scoring and is very consistent having scored in double figures in each game and having that very humble approach that he inherited living in North Carolina. It has been a while since Brooks won a title dating back to back to back wins with the Southern Conf. Tournament in 2012-2013, but this season, medi Bayreuth may not win a title but finally reach the playoffs with the right coach and players that the club currently has. “What I like about Coach Korner is that he really cares for everyone in his program and his attention to detail. There is no stone left unturned, but at the same time he knows how to communicate with his players to get the best out of us. To me he is a players coach and those are the type to create a winning environment”, warned Demon Brooks. So far the American who compares his game to Golden State Warrior Draymond Greene has had no problem adjusting to the BBL with his versatile game. “I think my biggest strength is the ability to play inside and outside. I am very mobile at the 4 position and I can do a variety of things. But I think my bread and butter is just playing inside and just taking what the defense gives me. If that is scoring the ball or kicking it out to a teammate. I think my passing has come a long way since college. From my past two years I seen a lot of double teams has made me widen my vision”, stressed Demon Brooks. But not only his role model like play has stood out, but his character which grew at Davidson where he played for Bob Mckillop who has been responsible for grooming his players to not only being the best possible players, but the best possible human beings. Brooks knows that the Davidson experience was priceless as well as his dealings with head coach Bob Mckillop. “There is no better coach in the world. He is the reason why I am here today. From the time I stepped foot on Davidson he prepared me for this journey on and off the court. One of the many lesson that stays with me is with freedom comes from responsibility. This is one lesson, especially playing professional basketball in Europe, that is very important for a player to abide if you want to have a long promising career”, warned Demon Brooks. Brooks remembers hearing the great stories from coach Mckillop about Steph Curry that also helped shape him. “My personal favorite story about Steph is during the NBA lockout and he came back to Davidson to finish his classes. He is the best player I have ever seen personally, but with that he is not cocky or arrogant. He is a genuine person and the way he carries himself is like no other. That what stands out most about him to me. Not what he does on court”, warned Demon Brooks. Brooks may not always think about it, but he profited a lot from his Davidson experience and has some of that Davidson Curry character rubbing off on him on and off the court.

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