Mack signs 2-year deal with AEK Athens

Lamont Mack, last season’s leading scorer for the Charlotte 49ers, has the chance to extend his playing career.

Mack, a 6-foot-7, 229-pound forward who graduated in May, signed a two-year contract this week with AEK Athens, one of the most successful professional European basketball teams.

Mack is expected to leave for Greece at the end of the month with the A1 League beginning play in mid to late October. Mack is one of three American players on the roster for the team which plays in the 19,000-seat OAKA Olympic Arena.

“When I didn’t get an invitation to an NBA training camp, of course I started looking at several opportunities and this was one of them,” Mack said. “I’ve never been overseas but I’m excited about being able to play professional basketball. That was the main thing.”

Mack said he was very thankful for the chance he had attending several NBA tryouts over the summer.

“I tried to keep an open mind and I really believe the experience taught me a lot of things,” he said. “The players who have a lot of success in the NBA understand the mental part of the game. There are a lot who come into the league with just raw talent, but those are the ones who don’t last that long.”

Mack was a third-team all-Atlantic-10 Conference selection last season during which he averaged 15.2 points and 5.7 rebounds a game and shot 32 percent from 3-point range.