Rejuvenated Ottey free to be himself

After a very challenging 2023-24 season, Marcus Ottey chose to return to London this year when the Lightning hired a new coach. Now, he’s playing more, scoring more, and enjoying the game again.

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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It’s a reunion nobody saw coming – especially Marcus Ottey.

“To be honest with you, I wasn’t going to come back – not if things were the same,” the guard said.

It took assurances from Lightning GM Mark Frijia, along with the encouragement of his agent, to convince Ottey to give it another shot with the London Lightning after an up-and-down year that saw him clash with his head coach, be cast out and join a different team, and then be welcomed back in a matter of weeks.

This season, everyone said, things would be different. Calmer. Normal.

“Once I knew Doug (Plumb, former Lightning head coach) was not coming back, that gave me more confidence to come back. Because of the way things went down, there was no need to try it again together if he was still here – we knew how it was going to go down,” the 6-foot-2 guard said. “We just can’t work together. That was the conclusion I came to.”

This season, Ottey finds himself in the same uniform, but under a new leader, surrounded by new (and a few old) teammates, with a host of new opportunities to showcase his game in ways he felt he was never allowed to show.

“I like the city of London. I like the organization. With all that stuff in the past, I thought, ‘Why not?’”

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It was one of the weirder moments in a season filled with weird moments.

On Jan. 2, 2024, Ottey was removed from a game in Kitchener when he began arguing with former Lightning head coach Doug Plumb. Plumb directed his point guard to the visitors’ dressing room, but the jawing between the two continued until Ottey was escorted away by Bolts assistant coach Dave Sewell.

Days later, Ottey was replaced on the roster by Shadell Millinghaus, who, despite quickly becoming a fan favourite, soon found himself at odds with Plumb and was shipped off to Windsor in exchange for guard Chris Jones.

Ottey’s incident with Plumb stemmed not just from a disagreement in the moment but from tensions that had been building over weeks, starting with a dispute about Ottey’s role on the team and his expectations for the season.

(Photo: Barry Field Photography).

“I guess I got in my own head a little bit – playing time, coach, a lot of things got me away from being myself. Not playing, you know, that’s big because it’s what you do. It messes with your confidence, your ability when you’re not playing. It’s a lot of different emotions that you feel that you need to internalize,” he explained.

“You have to stay ready while being on the bench, even knowing you might not get in the game, but you still might, keeping your body language good. It isn’t easy because inside, you’re dying to get on the court. Those types of feelings can really get you away from being yourself.”

After leaving the Lightning, Ottey landed in Montreal. With the Toundra (then of the BSL), he averaged 9.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 19.4 minutes per game across six contests with his new club.

Then, as fate (and a London front office that really wanted him back) would have it, Ottey returned to the Lightning on Feb. 25. He finished the season with the team and helped them hoist the inaugural BSL championship trophy.

Despite the success, however, Ottey’s use did not drastically increase upon his return. He finished the season averaging just 3.7 points, 1.0 rebound and 0.3 assists in only 9.3 minutes per game. That was enough for him to seek other options this season – he simply didn’t see a role for himself on a Plumb-led team.

“It was a crazy year for me. London. Montreal. Back to London. Ending in a championship. It was an up-and-down season. It’s always good to win. But I definitely learned a lot personally, and about the business side of basketball,” Ottey said.

(Photo: Barry Field Photography).

“As anybody goes through in any type of career, there are ups and downs. Things are going to go left. Things are going to not go the way you expect. It was one of those years for me. I learned a lot. But I’m back.”

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Now, a year after his worst on-court moment, Ottey gets an opportunity to be who he really wanted to be in London all along. Gone are Plumb and a lot of hard feelings, replaced instead with a renewed sense of purpose in the Toronto native.

“I want to be more of a presence. Last year, I didn’t get a chance to showcase what I can do. This year, it’s really a redemption-type year for me. I didn’t get a chance to play and be myself. I want to get back to doing that,” Ottey explained.

“Everybody manages that stuff different. They’re going to have their own little outlet or way of doing things. For me, I had to get back to the basics. Last year, I was only in the gym when I needed to be. But this year, I’m getting back to the basics – and I mean really back to the basics, back to the grind. I’m working for something again. I’m working out every morning before shootaround, before practice, at night. I am doubled down on what I was last year. I am back to it – and then some.”

Lightning head coach Jerry Williams didn’t know Ottey before he arrived in camp. The two had squared off against each other, during Ottey’s stints in both Montreal and London. But what coach saw on film had him all on board with Frijia’s decision to bring him back for the 2024-25 season.

“Juice is having a great season. He’s playing so well right now,” Williams said. “He’s not in his head; he’s not overthinking what he needs to do or what will happen to him if he makes a mistake or a turnover. He’s not worried about getting cursed out as he makes the turn to get back on defense. He's loving basketball again.”

Ask Ottey what a fresh start on a player-coach relationship means, and he’ll start his answer with his patented easy-going smile.

“It's going really well with Jerry, as it should be with any other coach, any human being. I’m a real laid back, cool guy. I get along with everybody. Coach is also getting used to new things. He’s the new coach. He has a new team, a different organization, a new city. We’re getting along very well,” Ottey said.

“We’re still early in the season, so we’re all still learning each other, getting to know each other, and learning how to work as a team.”

This season, Ottey, 27, has seen his usage increase under Williams, providing his new head coach with 12.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 27.2 minutes per game. He has already logged 299 minutes across 11 contests (four of which he started).

“As I tell the guys, don’t get it in your head about starting or playing time; you will all get your minutes. We’re still working on that as a team,” Williams said. “I know Juice worries about that. I tell him he will get his minutes; this guy can play.”

Ottey is shooting 52% overall from the field, an impressive mark for a guard. He’s at 32.3% from three. Most recently, he’s coming off a 20-point, seven-rebound, five-assist performance against Newfoundland.

For Ottey, the thrill of a second (or, technically, third) run through the Forest City is exactly what he needs for his career and himself.

“My mind feels good. Body feels good. Spirit feels good. I feel good all around.”