Amanda Hart is following the first season of new Utah Jazz pick Eric Maynor. Read her introduction to this series here.

Sept. 25, 2009: I went to media day at the Zions Bank Basketball Center to see how Eric Maynor would react to his first time in front of the cameras with the team. He seemed almost as comfortable as the veterans and handled all the attention very well. He fits in well with the team, and had fun with his new teammates.---

It wasn’t all fun and games for him though, and I got a small glimpse of the life of a rookie compared to a vet. On media day, each player has to go through different stations of photo shoots, interviews and autographs before they can leave.

I waited with Eric, watching other players get their shoots done before he could do his. After watching for what seemed like forever, it was finally Eric’s turn. He stepped up to the backdrop and started his shoot. Meanwhile, Deron Williams was finishing up his interviews and headed over to where they were doing the shoots. It was terrible! Eric finally got his chance to finish his shoot and get out of there and he gets pushed aside for another player. Well, I guess it is Deron Williams ... but still!

After a few shots of the two point guards together, another teammate, Kyle Korver, came over to interrupt the shoot again. The photographer snapped a few shots of Kyle and Deron, the founders of last month’s charity dodgeball event, and then continued with Deron’s solo shoot. During his shoot, Deron looked at Eric and lovingly said, “Hasn’t anyone told you yet? Rookies are always the first to show up to the gym and the last to leave.” I’m sure Eric will remember those words throughout the season as he is reminded of his rank on the team.

Fortunately, Deron wanted to get out of there just as badly as Eric, and his shoot was finished pretty quickly. Eric finally finished his turn with the photographer, headed over to do one last radio interview and then was able to leave the facility.

It was a pretty exciting day for the seven rookies who had never been to media day with the Jazz, and I’m sure they are all relieved it’s over with and they can start doing what they know best, basketball.