Photo Credit: Punch Newspapers / Michael Eric
From Football Pitch to Basketball Court: Michael Eric Opens Up on His Journey
D’Tigers assistant captain and former Cleveland Cavaliers center, Michael Eric, has revealed that football was his first love before basketball took over his life.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Punch Newspapers, the Nigerian basketball star said his late father, Joseph Eric, who played and coached football, inspired his early passion for the round leather game.

According to him, he had no interest in basketball until a major growth spurt as a teenager and a trip to the United States to visit his elder brother, Stephen, changed everything. With encouragement from his friend Gbenga Jetawo and his coach Chris Nomigo, he fell in love with basketball, a decision that later earned him a scholarship to Temple University in Philadelphia and a contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2013.

Eric, who now runs a basketball camp in Nigeria, said the initiative is aimed at giving kids from his neighbourhood a real pathway to achieve their dreams through basketball and education.
“While you are having fun, you also have to be aware that this could be an opportunity of a lifetime. That is the goal of this camp – to give kids a pathway to pursue their dream in basketball first, and education will come with it,” he said.
On the state of basketball development in Nigeria, the D’Tigers big man stressed the need for better resources.
“We have the talent in Nigeria. We have the length, the God-given ability, the athleticism and perseverance, but the resources are limited. It’s about having the right facilities, the right gear and the right fitness instruction,” he noted.
Speaking ahead of Nigeria’s FIBA World Cup qualifying window, Eric expressed optimism about the team’s chances under coach David Fitzdale, saying the goal is to win all three games and qualify without stress.

On his future, the veteran who is entering his 15th year as a professional hinted that retirement could be close.
“Age is nothing but a number, but it sometimes tells you the right time,” he said.
Eric also paid tribute to his late father, Joseph Erico, saying his biggest lesson was that life is not about himself alone but about using his God-given gift to inspire and give back.

He called on other Nigerian sports stars abroad to return home and impact their communities.
“Come back home. Home is where the heart is. America is amazing, but come back home and impact your neighbourhood, impact where your father is from, because that is where we are from,” he urged.
He further emphasized the importance of education, describing basketball as a tool to better one’s life that can be short-lived, while education remains permanent.
“When you are educated, you can walk into any room, you can talk, you can elevate yourself,” he added.
Source: Punch Newspapers