Gundersen: Former Jazz Teammates Eric Maynor & Wesley Matthews Reunite On Blazers

Erik Gundersen of Blazers.com takes a look at the friendship between new Portland Trail Blazers guard Eric Maynor and guard Wesley Matthews, one that began when they were teammates on the Utah Jazz.

"It was cool. He's one of my good friends," Matthews said of Maynor and their time in Utah. "Even though it was 26 games, there's more time spent than that. There's preseason, there's summer and we both got a Viking connection too."

"It was cool, something new," Maynor says. "Coming into a league, best league in the world. We were both four year guys. It was fun in Utah while it lasted, I had left early but it was a good time. Wes is a hard worker, good player."

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With both having had the opportunity to play for four years in college, it gave both of them a unique bond. That bond was built from not just the fact that they played for four years, but that both believed they were ready to make an impact the day they walked in the door, so says Maynor.

"Yeah, because I felt like we were ready. I felt like we were ready when we first walked in there. Because we matured, we matured in college. We go four years, we were already 21 when we get out of school so I think that was a plus."

The Blazers acquired Maynor in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder last Thursday. Maynor reacted to the trade here . He was interviewed on Blazers Courtside here.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter