Aday Mara: "It makes me laugh because there were people who said I wasn't going to play"

The first game in the NBA is unforgettable. That is what is going to happen to Aday Mara, who experienced a moment that only a chosen few can boast of. He is now an NBA player after making his debut with the Oklahoma City Thunder. But what is more, the Spanish player did it in style, with a convincing performance, rising above the pressure of the atmosphere and with a huge block on Wembanyama that has gone around the world. They were 12 minutes that are already history in Spanish basketball.

'At the end of the game, in Mara's smile, you could see that he was satisfied with his performance and happy about his debut. And he remembered those who predicted that he would not play in the NBA this year: "I’m happy that it’s now official. It amuses me because it seemed like I wasn’t going to play, there were people out there saying I wasn’t going to play, so that’s another thing that has gone well," Mara recalled in statements to Aragón Deporte after the game.'

Mara played 12 minutes, scoring 7 points, as well as grabbing 2 rebounds, dishing out an assist, and making a brutal block on "Wemby": "I felt good playing and I felt that I helped the team, so I'm happy. It was emotional because my teammates gave me the ball, I hadn't thought about it. I'm going to keep that as a very beautiful memory," he said.

'The Spanish giant recalled for Aragon Deporte the play with which he has kicked down the door to the NBA: "The first play I make is like a lob pass, I had thought about making a dunk, but I was looking at what everything was like. I see him there and in the end, since I’ve seen it so many times, you watch him play and more or less you learn how he plays. Either I jumped there earlier, or he was going to dunk, so I gave it a try," he said in reference to the block on Wembanyama in the third quarter of the game.'

'At the end of the game came the most emotional moment for Aday: going over to the stands and celebrating his debut and the victory with his family: "Having my parents here, and with today being my father's birthday, it was really nice that they could be here, celebrate my father's birthday with him and with my mother and that they were able to come watch the game."'

'Regarding the performance of the player from Aragon, his coach Mark Daigneault was very clear at the end of the game in San Antonio: "He had a great impact. He probably had one of the stretches of the game that was decisive. He did not seem overwhelmed by the atmosphere of the game. It does not surprise me because of his performance in the preseason. I think he has proven to be a highly impactful player. Tonight he did not get many minutes, but his impact was notable I am going to trust him even more after seeing how he performed in a game of such a high level".'