SASSARI (Basketball Champions League) - Dinamo Sassari fans must have figured something special was in the works when the club signed a player that goes by the name Darius Earvin Johnson-Odom.

If the two names sandwiched in the middle - Earvin Johnson - look familar, they should. Earvin 'Magic' Johnson is one of the greatest to ever play basketball.

The 1.87m Johnson-Odom, a native of Raleigh, North Carolina, isn't as tall on the court as the 2.06m Magic was.

But the two share some traits, which was obvious after watching Johnson-Odom lead his team to victory in a Basketball Champions League Game Day 3 home win over Proximus Spirou this past week.

The American displayed desire, a willingness to take responsibility in key situations and an explosiveness in his game against the team from Charleroi, Belgium.

A college basketball star at Marquette, Johnson-Odom turned pro in 2012 and as fate would have it, he wound up with the Los Angeles Lakers, the team Magic Johnson won five NBA titles with. Johnson-Odom has been on the go ever since, playing in Asia, America and Europe.

He's been one of the most important players for a Sassari team that has won two of its first three games in Europe and four of six in Italy's Lega A.

After not playing at the high level he expects of himself for a couple of games, recently, he was ready to go against Proximus. Johnson-Odom repeatedly drove into the lane and got to the rim. He had with 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the floor and also came up with 3 steals.

"The mindset was to just stay aggressive and my teammates allowed me to do that, and they've been helping me to stay positive in that way," he said of getting over his previous struggles.

Dinamo Sassari remained unbeaten at home with that triumph over Proximus but on the road, they had yet to win. What did Sassari need to do to get a win away fro home, he was asked after the midweek triumph?

"It's just focus and mentality," he answered. It's not easy to win away no matter who you play. So I think it's just our mentality and our approach in how we go into those games.

"It needs to be a little higher because obviously, we don't have our 3,000 or more fans like when we play at home. We have to talk to each other, be more communicative and come out with a mentality that we want to win."

Dinamo Sassari carried that mentality into Saturday's game at The Flexx Pistoia. With Johnson-Odom pouring in a team-high 15 points, the visitors prevailed, 69-68.

Four years ago, when Johnson-Odom was with the Lakers, he told the Los Angeles Times that Magic Johnson had been his mother's favorite player and that's why she gave him the middle name Earvin.

When asked how he was compared to Magic, he answered: "I know I can't do the things he did. "But what you can take from him is his leadership, being a player and being a great competitor. That's what he brought to the table when he wore that purple and gold. That's what I'm trying to do."

That's what he is doing for Dinamo Sassari. He's being a leader and a great competitor.

FIBA