The guard impressed with 28 points, 4 assists and 4 steals
Rodney McGruder shined on EuroCup debut for Reyer
Article
3 Mins read
The Palasport Taliercio crowd gave Rodney McGruder a standing ovation when the Umana Reyer Venice guard left the game with 1:26 minutes left after having helped the club snap its three-game losing streak in the BKT EuroCup - in his first home game of the season.
McGruder shined in his first EuroCup game with 28 points including 4 three-pointers in an 80-68 Reyer win over Veolia Towers Hamburg to snap a three-game losing streak. The 33-year-old also chipped in 1 rebound, 4 assists, 4 steals and only 2 turnovers in 31 minutes.
“It was a lot of fun to play in front of this home crowd. They gave us a lot of energy tonight and we kind of fed off that. It was a lot of fun,” McGruder said afterward.
About his strong performance, the American added: “I have great teammates. We tried to put each other in great situations where we can be successful and we were able to do that and came out with a victory.”
McGruder’s signing with Reyer was announced on October 4 but he didn’t arrive in Italy until October 18 as he remained in the United States to tend to his home in Florida as the area was hit by two major hurricanes. Fortunately, his home wasn’t lost but the community was affected, as McGruder mentioned in his introductory press conference.
Game Videos
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/69d88395-6f1a-4bfe-8706-6715aedcad0b.jpg]()
Aris Midea Thessaloniki-Umana Reyre Venice | Round 10 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:27
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/12/04/XLmbajKfwMjopXfbGwKJdCdHhgtAWOxW-1733350763340.jpg]()
Kuath with the massive block on Nelson! Magic Moment of the Night
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/UuuwT3QFVM8/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse-Veolia Towers Hamburg | Round 10 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:11
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/46758356-bb54-4d0b-8ff3-9d2899c9788f.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A144%3A100]()
Barnett takes off! Magic Moment
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/-QGxm1bgDFo/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana-Veolia Towers Hamburg | Round 9 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/iAKfgw3ba4w/maxresdefault.jpg]()
7-bet Lietkabelis-Umana Reyer Venice | Round 9 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:11
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/9e20c9ca-a53a-40e5-8a3f-ee64af9b1b39.jpg?crop=1220%3A686%3Anowe%3A0%3A156]()
Kabengele dunks off a Simms alley-oop pass! Magic Moment
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/zAQbOas_bH8/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Umana Reyer Venice-Turk Telekom Ankara | Round 8 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:13
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/9e20c9ca-a53a-40e5-8a3f-ee64af9b1b39.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A77%3A153]()
A vicious alley-oop from Kabengele! Magic Moment
- 00:28
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/11/12/wymmQVO6BiPHnb3Cak94vyf6aUCitcxg-1731449782449.jpg]()
Hamburg monster alley-oop! | Magic Moment of the Night
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/e6ae65a8-6306-4a4c-9ee6-bc4a0da307ea.jpg]()
Veolia Towers Hamburg-Aris Midea Thessaloniki | Round 8 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:09
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/65946eaf-cdc9-4047-af56-58dd1be869f7.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A80%3A114]()
Kuath's big denial! Magic Moment
- 00:14
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/51354fc8-76cd-4eb7-9f2f-c0cba58cf5e9.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A138%3A103]()
Monster alley-oop from Hamburg! Magic Moment
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/JWHvUyIhcWE/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Hapoel Yahav Bank Jerusalem-Umana Reyer Venice | Round 7 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/whJMXd7_Sts/maxresdefault.jpg]()
7-bet Lietkabelis Panevezys-Veolia Towers Hamburg | Round 7 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:10
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/f249f449-fa7b-4439-b387-1fbcb9943c35.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A115%3A27]()
Parks stops Zoosman! Magic Moment
- 00:12
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/51354fc8-76cd-4eb7-9f2f-c0cba58cf5e9.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A141%3A107]()
Kuath's unique alley-oop dunk! Magic Moment
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/05-fy0KZRYY/maxresdefault.jpg]()
U-BT Cluj-Napoca-Umana Reyer Venice | Round 6 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:10
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/5c6915f4-75e4-4399-9d1a-10fb22a82687.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A135%3A146]()
Fine dunk by Kabengele! Magic Moment
- 00:10
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/40572331-6726-4801-9074-e5ad02f0cd6e.jpg?crop=1206%3A678%3Anowe%3A88%3A83]()
Great dunk by Kabengele! Magic Moment
- 00:32
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/10/29/QZcSHhyjqfd18Ru8saFrdgGqvXb8Z7ap-1730242540579.jpg]()
Kuath puts on a show! Magic Moment of the Night
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/b0ad83cf-78af-4183-9e7b-a436a7ab908f.jpg?crop=1536%3A864%3Anowe%3A192%3A108]()
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul-Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv | RS Round 6 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/5xSLfevXOUI/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Veolia Hamburg Towers-Turk Telekom Ankara | Round 6 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:10
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/64cc1074-77e8-4210-83e4-edfb8fe30a3b.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A39%3A59]()
What a fine alley-oop from Jaylen Hoard! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:11
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/79bacce6-41d7-4846-861f-e7baaf9b00c4.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A132%3A126]()
Ogbe’s no-look dish to Kuath! Magic Moment
- 00:25
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/cf613784-87cc-4bf1-83e4-da8b30cb6238.png?crop=750%3A422%3Anowe%3A0%3A99]()
Kuath puts on a show! Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/72f2b185-13f0-4b1d-8fee-686f5c95f331.jpg]()
Umana Reyer Venice-Veolia Towers Hamburg | Round 5 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:26
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/9081cc82-ad99-4289-8b3c-fb760a507d9d.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A30%3A68]()
Kuath throws down the alley-oop! Magic Moment
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/_F4D3JtmDtE/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Valencia Basket-Umana Reyer Venice | Round 4 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/nVv73iwP8Ws/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Veolia Towers Hamburg-U-BT Cluj-Napoca | Round 4 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:10
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/2fb38609-bfb9-4bd4-a84b-12e90254d13e.jpg?crop=1220%3A686%3Anowe%3A74%3A65]()
Ivey to Barnett alley-oop! Magic Moment
- 03:41
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/10/09/ZqkDjAONeaxKCvCJ40k5FwKLedLc9cvl-1728504189549.jpg]()
Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem-Veolia Towers Hamburg | Round 3 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 03:52
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/10/08/ip6NP4IcETBK5bpLXneEI7dnwBc5wyOv-1728420036757.jpg]()
Umana Reyer Venice-Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse | Round 3 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:23
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/6ba5eccf-1ec0-465c-aeda-df5dac6e8a6b.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A123%3A108]()
Kabengele has no mercy! Magic Moment
- 00:18
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/5c9a38ff-dabc-433c-a60d-98d4fc45bdbb.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A103%3A42]()
Kabengele with the circus shot! Magic Moment
- 03:41
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/10/02/K57EpeZHI58SFCGEHVzbYZpH02EJQTXa-1727905651100.jpg]()
Valencia Basket-Veolia Towers Hamburg | Round 2 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:27
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/cf613784-87cc-4bf1-83e4-da8b30cb6238.png?crop=750%3A422%3Anowe%3A0%3A102]()
Magic Moment: Kuath flies high!
- 03:40
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/10/01/Jidg3P3GtHtmMljDNPnzODqJZQMoDzPg-1727821951595.jpg]()
Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana-Umana Reyer Venice | Round 2 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:11
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/2d9a8676-ccf7-487b-914f-5c103b14d12f.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A53%3A38]()
Magic Moment: Kabengele finishes tough alley-oop!
- 03:40
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/09/25/E8qY6ugj0GcIx0dKD52gZfOeW3n2vYS4-1727298025577.jpg]()
Umana Reyer Venice-Aris Midea Thessaloniki | Round 1 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:12
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/90929047-a06a-4908-b66f-3992ebdd5a6c.png?crop=750%3A422%3Anowe%3A0%3A102]()
Magic Moment: Simms puts it back!
- 00:09
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/449befd0-a2a1-47e9-a7df-86c170244f6a.png?crop=750%3A422%3Anowe%3A0%3A79]()
Magic Moment: Parks's alley-oop dunk!
- 00:23
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/09/24/g8c0kLnw44AxJWOWKWP8IiZJgRVKoM8C-1727212594688.jpg]()
Magic Moment of the Night: Maronka posterizes Pansa!
- 03:49
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/50d93c6e-8ea3-45b4-a783-b586900ac254.jpg]()
Veolia Towers Hamburg-Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse | Round 1 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:20
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/cd60eb65-2fb8-4bd9-b357-7f58d7c50a98.png?crop=745%3A419%3Anowe%3A5%3A102]()
Magic Moment: Cameron Reece swats Salash at the rim!
- 00:17
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/1ef24125-d5a1-4f5b-bc63-d53d8f34d340.jpg]()
Magic Moment: Zsombor Maronka with the massive dunk!
- 00:59
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/02/08/gbVZnJSPFfqzUT6zGJItdweHTaRfuGY4-1707376951275.jpg]()
Marco Spissu | Round 18 MVP | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup
- 03:42
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/02/06/HmnBlvkiSoCKaRXiLtYXq8ARY1eELBEv-1707252410955.jpg]()
Veolia Towers Hamburg-Umana Reyer Venice | Round 18 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup
- 00:10
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/6330d25f-e94a-47b4-b9be-c6a90df9a8d8.jpg?crop=1649%3A928%3Anowe%3A1193%3A176]()
Magic Moment: The circus has come to town in Hamburg!
- 00:09
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/888cbfa0-8ecd-44e0-b6a4-c3ff2f84f309.jpg?crop=811%3A456%3Anowe%3A454%3A6]()
Magic Moment: Tessitori threads the needle for a Tucker score!
McGruder, who spent half of last season playing for EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, played his first game over the weekend and helped Reyer to a 77-64 road victory over Pistoia for the team’s first win this season in the Italian League. That win also snapped a six-game losing streak in the two competitions for Reyer.
It was also McGruder’s first competitive game since playing for Milan on March 8, 2024, against Partizan Belgrade in the EuroLeague. And then in his EuroCup debut, he took over from the beginning - scoring 10 of his team’s first 15 points.
McGruder was big all game and Reyer had built a 23-point lead which was down to 10 points in the final period. The hosts pushed the gap back to 17 points only to have Hamburg fight back to 75-66 with under 4 minutes to play. McGruder snapped the momentum with a big three-pointer.
Those were his final points with the 28 points tying him for fourth all-time on Reyer’s single-game scoring list in the EuroCup - a week after Kyle Wiltjer had set the club EuroCup record with 34 points.
“I’m speechless,” Reyer head coach Neven Spahija said after the game about McGruder’s showing. “The guy never saw us in his life, came here, didn’t play since April or May, I don’t know, and scored almost 30 points. I have to give him credit.”
With the team ahead by 12 points with 86 seconds to go, Spahija subbed McGruder out of the game and the Palasport Taliercio crowd showed its appreciation for the outstanding debut.