USC transfer Chad Baker-Mazara leans on his Dominican roots
Do not call him a traveler. Chad Baker-Mazara said that his journey through four universities allowed him to land at the place he has been looking for since the start of his university basketball adventure.
Baker-Mazara, 25, arrived at the USC in May. The veteran hopes to help direct young players in the locker room and on the field after joining his fifth team since 2020.
He started his trip with Duquesne in 2020-2010, then moved to San Diego State for the 2021-222 season in search of the best on the list. He lagged behind in the school plan in San Diego and was sent back from the team when he could not catch up on work in class. Baker-Mazara then went to the East Coast to play for the Northwest Florida State College during the 2022-23 season while recovering on the academic track before winning a place on the Auburn list during the 2023-25 seasons.
It was a unique trip, but he is convinced that he will write the most important chapter of his basketball career with Trojan horses in the next season.
Chad Baker-Mazara of the USC, center, is shouting from the key during a training session at the Galen Center.
(Ringo Chiu / Los Angeles Times)
Born in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, he grew up under the influence of his father, who played basketball for the Dominican national team and in several international leagues. From a young age, Baker-Mazara knew he wanted to play basketball.
“My father was my first coach, my model. Watching him play has left a lasting impression,” Baker-Mazara told Times en Español.
Although he tried other sports, including football and baseball, basketball was his favorite. His dream of playing at higher levels began to take momentum when he moved to New Jersey. He played the Colonia High School and later at the Spire Academy, where he began to obtain national recognition.
His university career was anything but linear. He started in Duquesne, where in the first year, he has an average of 9.5 points per game and experienced exceptional performances. Then came his passage in the state of San Diego, where he was sixth man of the year at the Mountain West conference. He then fell to the junior college with the Northwest Florida State College and played a decisive role in the team winning the National NJCAA Championship. There, he exploded offensively, with an average of more than 15 points per game and pulling 46.9% compared to the line of three points.
His performance opened the door in Auburn. In two seasons with the tigers, he won like a starter and a key player. He contributed to the defense, maturity and efficiency of the perimeter. During his second year, he collected an average of 12.3 points, 3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, helping Auburn to reach the Final Four. During the semi-finals against the state of Michigan, an injury in hand temporarily interrupted the plans to go to the professional level.
“I was going to declare the project this year, but with the injury, I would not be able to show my best,” he said.
Baker-Mazara, a 6-foot 7-inch versatile athlete who can play guard and front, decided to recover completely and give a last kick to university basketball.
After Aburn would have offered the Baker-Mazara teammate almost twice as much as his name, image and agreement, he entered the transfer portal. USC coach Eric Musselman won a player widely considered to be the greatest loss of a dry list during the offseason.
Chad Baker-Mazara of the USC, on the right, goes to the basket during training at the Galen Center.
(Ringo Chiu / Los Angeles Times)
“He is a proven winner and will be a player that we can play everywhere on the ground,” said Musselman shortly after Baker-Mazara signed with the USC. “… Chad plays with an incredible passion and emotion that can lift a local crowd.”
Baker-Mazara considers that his arrival at the USC the symbolic end of a cycle.
“When I was younger, I came to visit the university with my aunt, who obtained my diploma here,” he said. “I saw Nikola Vacevic walk on the campus and say to myself:” I want to play here one day. “”
Now this dream is a reality.
He is supervised by Musselman, who was previously head coach of the NBA. Baker-Mazara continues a diploma in interdisciplinary studies with minors in sports coaching, Spanish and sociology.
“He pushes us to be united on and out of the field,” said Baker-Mazara about Musselman. “He wants there to be a real link between us as a group. And you can say that guys want to compete and win together.”
Baker-Mazara works to prosper under the spotlight, not only for himself and for his family, but for others who could be inspired by his trip. He is proud to be a high -level Dominican player in an American college, a space with a limited Latin representation.
“Each year, there are more Latinos that strike the doors,” he said. “The important thing is that when you get there, you not only represent your country, but the whole Latin community. I want people to understand that I am not the same on and off the field. On the ground, we are rival. My dream is at stake, and I’m going to everything.
With the disorders created by immigration raids in southern California, Baker-Mazara wants to serve as an immigrant example that makes positive contributions.
“When I got here, they made things very difficult for me,” he said about his arrival in the United States: “They didn’t want to let me play or something like that. And I, of course, lowered my head, concentrated and I put myself the subject of myself, and I look where I am now, thank you.
One of the models that Baker-Mazara admire is Hansel Emmanuel, the young Dominican who lost his left arm in an accident at the age of 6 when a wall of concrete blocks collapsed on him. Today, he participates in the highest level of university basketball.
“It was a shock for the whole country when it happened, because Hansel has always been a talented child. This accident caused a lot of noise there. From an early age, it could be said that he was different,” said Baker-Mazara, who has known Emmanuel since childhood because their parents were friends.
Emmanuel was not selected in the NBA draft, but he signed a two -way contract with the Houston Rockets.
Chad Baker-Mazara of the USC turns during a training at the Galen Center.
(Ringo Chiu / Los Angeles Times)
“What I admire the most about him is his state of mind,” said Baker-Mazara about Emmanuel. “He never left what might seem like a disadvantage to make him fall. He advanced and continued to work. Today, it is there that he is because he has never made an answer. And even if I am older than him, I often look at him as an example, as someone I want to follow the steps. ”
Their relationship remains strong even if they do not speak every day.
“He’s like a little brother for me,” said Baker-Mazara. “We live 15 minutes from each other when we are at home. He knows that with a telephone call, he can count on me. ”
Baker-Mazara also has Kobe Bryant as a major source of inspiration.
“Kobe died the day before my birthday,” said Baker-Mazara. “Since this year, I haven’t even celebrated that day. It was like losing a family member. ”
Bryant’s n ° 24 jersey had a deep impact on the life of Baker-Mazara.
Chad Baker-Mazara of the USC, center, extends his arm in the air while playing in defense during training at the Galen Center.
(Ringo Chiu / Los Angeles Times)
“Outside my father, Kobe was one of the reasons I took basketball,” said Baker-Mazara. “It was one of my dreams for him to come and see me playing. It did not happen, but I have the impression that he is in mind here. It is his city. It’s Kobe Bryant.”
Baker-Mazara tries to imitate Mamba mentality in his daily routine, in the way he contributes and faces challenges.
If he does not go to the NBA, Baker-Mazara plans to look for international game opportunities internationally.
“I come from Santo Domingo. I’m not afraid to play in a country,” he said. “As long as I can feed my family and give my little sister’s example, I will continue.”
This The article appeared for the first time in Spanish Via Times in Español.
