MATTHEW Wright said that being in the PBA for the better part of the past decade saw him fall into the traps of complacency, and his move to Japan was his way of challenging himself to become a better player.
The Fil-Canadian shooter bared that in his introductory press conference for Kyoto Hannaryz on Thursday as he braces for his first season in the Japan B.League.
See PBA seeks closer cooperation with B.League on player transfers
"I think it's going to be a great challenge because I feel like I was getting a little too comfortable in the Philippines being there for six years," he said. "We didn't win a lot of games in Phoenix and it was very frustrating and I felt like I needed a change in scenery and just new challenges for myself."
"I'm always constantly trying to become a better basketball player. I think that's the main goal is to always strive for improvement and developing your game and I felt like joining Kyoto would be the best fit for me."
Wright has been the face of the Fuel Masters since he was drafted by the team through the special Gilas round of the 2016 PBA Rookie Draft but his efforts could only lead the team to two semifinals appearances, his closest being a win away from the finals in the 2020 Philippine Cup inside the Clark bubble.
Now in Japan, the 31-year-old promises the same level of intensity as he looks to make a splash there together with his fellow Filipino imports.
"The mentality and the approach doesn't change. We always want to keep that fire cause that's what got me here. And like I said, you have to stay true to yourself. So that's not going to change," he said.
Wright sees similarities with teams he has played for in the past, from his high school days with Martingrove Collegiate Institute in Toronto, to St. Bonaventure in college, to his pro teams.
"I've always been on the team that wasn't necessarily the best team," he said. "I went to a good, decent high school and even in college I didn't go to the biggest college in terms of winning and that kind of pedigree. But I feel like that's been the trend in my career, is going to a team that doesn't have the most expectations and then eventually with the group of guys that we have, we work hard and we have that underdog mindset, and eventually we do become a good team."
"So hopefully, with this Kyoto team, the same would happen," wished Wright as the Hannaryz aim to rise from their 14-43 record last season.
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