Ethan Wright grew up with basketball. As much as he found the game, the game found him.
His mother, Ellen, is one of the greatest players in Princeton University history, and ended her four-year career as the school’s second-leading scorer.
A four-time All-Ivy performer, she netted 430 points during the 1983-84 season, the best ever at the time. She currently sits second in program history in rebounds and blocks, and holds the single-game record for blocks in a game with nine.
Ellen was Wright’s coach until eighth grade, but never forced the game onto him.
“She wasn’t the type of parent to beg you to work out or force you into the gym, but she let me know that if I wanted to have success I had to work for it. She gave me all the help and resources I needed, and having a mum who had been through the entire college process was really helpful for me. She’s my biggest basketball resource.”
He quickly followed in her footsteps, declaring for Princeton in 2018.
Playing alongside British forward Tosan Evbuomwan, now of the Detroit Pistons in the NBA, Wright helped the Tigers to a 23-7 record in 2022, winning the Ivy League regular season.
It was the school’s best season since 2017, coming back with a bang after the COVID 19 pandemic saw the cancellation of Ivy League play.
As it did for many student athletes, COVID ripped Wright away from the game, making workouts near-impossible for months on end.
But absence makes the heart grow fonder, and that was certainly the case for Wright’s love of the game coming back from the season-long hiatus.
“It made me fall in love with basketball again,” said Wright, reflecting on his cancelled year at Princeton.
“We hadn’t played for a year and we were dying to get out there. For six months I couldn’t even work out. College basketball is a grind, and it gave me a halftime break to let me miss the game.”
British fans will be familiar with Evbuomwan, who came through the Newcastle Eagles’ youth system.
“Tosan was so fun to play with. He was pretty much our point guard, even as a big, so we ran the offence through him. We had one of the best offences in the country, and I was playing with my best friends who I’d played with for four years.
“That year was the most fun I’ve had playing basketball.”
Rookie in Romania
After playing out his graduation year for the University of Colorado, Wright’s post-college career started in Romania with CSM Târgu Jiu last season. It was his first time leaving North America, and a big adjustment, as it is for any American rookie playing in Europe.
But he adapted quickly to the new environment, and the new challenge of going up against professionals for the first time.
“It’s definitely a learning curve. You’re no longer going up against kids, for one. In Romania there’s great players who are talented and athletic, and while that talent and athleticism was there in college too, the speed of the game in the pros is quicker.
“The shot clock is shorter, and guys are grown men who are really physical. There’s a lot of really experienced players who don’t make the same mistakes you see in college.
“But you have to have confidence in yourself. If you go to a pro team and you don’t have that self belief and competitiveness then it’s going to be difficult for you. I learned a lot from my rookie year.”
Similarly, life off the court presents challenges for rookies.
“We were in a very rural area in Romania, where there are very few Americans, or even English speaking people. If you don’t get along with your teammates it would have been very isolating. It’s important for your own life and the team’s success that you’re together.”
That’s something that has always come naturally to Wright. In his final collegiate year, Colorado awarded him the Stephen Tebo Family P.A.S.S. Award, for being the player who best exemplified the virtues of Perseverance, Attitude, Selflessness and Success.
The award is a testament to his off-court character and leadership, not only in that season, but throughout his basketball life.
“I’ve always tried to be a good locker room guy. I don’t think I have a big ego at all, and I try to be someone who is fun to be around. With that team at Colorado, there were a lot of young guys who were dealing with things that I’d already gone through. I felt like someone they could go to for advice and talk to when they needed to. I try to do that wherever I am.”
Landing in Leicester
Wright is ready to bring that off-court attitude to the Riders this season, along with his on-court talents.
He put up 11.7 points in 23.7 minutes per game in Romania, logging 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals per outing.
“I think I bring shooting as my best attribute, but I can also attack the rim and make plays. I showed a lot of different things last year, and now that I have that overseas experience I feel a lot more comfortable as a pro.
“I do a lot on defence and with my rebounding, and I’m going to go in and try to be a spark plug for the team. I’m a versatile player, so however Coach sees my role in the team I can adapt to.”
While it’s his first venture into the UK, Wright is itching to embrace the culture of the country and the city upon his arrival.
“I’m really excited to get to the UK. I’m especially excited about getting the chance to go to a Leicester City game! I played football for a while, and I’ve always loved watching the game. I can’t wait to immerse myself in the culture, get to know what the city and the country is like.
“I’m looking forward to eating the food. I hear Leicester has one of the biggest Indian populations in the country so I’m enthusiastic about engaging with that community and culture too.
“I’m honoured to be signing in a city with such incredible sporting heritage. Everything I hear about the club is the fans are great, and they support the club passionately, so that’s really cool.
“The city really loves sport, and that makes me really excited to interact with fans, hang out in the community and get to know people. We need the fans’ support, so whatever I can do to support the city and support them back I’m ready to do.
“If you’re a fan, don’t be a stranger! I’m excited to meet everybody!”
