Nick Mayo, 2015 Messalonskee High School graduate and member of the Japanese Professional Basketball League’s Hiroshima Dragonflies, poses for a photo with his mother, Jenn, father, Scott, and sister, Mackie. Photo courtesy of Jen Mayo

His following has always been strong in Maine, where high school basketball stars who play professionally are revered.

Now, 10 years after his success in the Pine Tree State, Nick Mayo is becoming a household name nearly 7,000 miles from home.

In his fourth season with the Japan Professional Basketball League’s Hiroshima Dragonflies, Mayo has become a recognizable figure in the country’s sixth-largest city. His popularity has only increased since the Dragonflies won the East Asia Super League title earlier this month.

“When I’m walking the street, I’ll definitely get some people who want to say hi and take photos, definitely even more so after winning the championship,” said Mayo, a 2015 graduate of Messalonskee High School in Oakland. “It’s been cool. … I love it over here.”

Yes, Mayo is thriving in Japan, where he’s now won two championships in the past two years with the Dragonflies. He’s also working to gain Japanese citizenship in hopes of representing the country at the 2028 Summer Olympics in the United States.

Mayo has been in Japan since graduating from Eastern Kentucky University in 2019 and playing for the Miami Heat’s NBA Summer League team months later. He played one season with Chiba Jets and one for Levanga Hokkaido before joining Hiroshima in 2021.

Nick Mayo, left, played in the NBA Summer League with the Miami Heat, then signed professionally in Japan. AP file photo

Over the past two years, the Dragonflies have become a powerhouse. Last May, the team won the Japanese championship. That made Hiroshima eligible for the EASL, where it would take out the top teams from South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and the Philippines en route to the title.

“We weren’t even on track to be in the (Japanese) playoffs, but we won something like 17 of our last 20 games to get in, went on a run to win it and kept it going (in the EASL),” Mayo said. “It’s super competitive. The Japanese players are so skilled, and you have a lot of imports who have played in the NBA or Summer League like me.”

Mayo has been a major reason for that success, averaging 13.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in his four seasons in Hiroshima. Between Mayo and fellow former NCAA standouts Dwayne Evans (St. Louis) and Kerry Blackshear Jr. (Virginia Tech/Florida), the Dragonflies have established one of East Asia’s dominant frontcourts.

Now that he’s succeeded at the high school, college and professional levels of basketball, Mayo is looking to try his trade in international competition. He wants to play for Japan in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, something that will require him to obtain Japanese citizenship.

The biggest challenge in that path to citizenship? Demonstrating proficiency in the Japanese language. For a language that the U.S. Department of State ranks as one of the four hardest for native English-speakers to learn along with Arabic, Chinese and Korean, that’s a time-consuming endeavor.

“Between our regular season and the (EASL) and all the learning and studying to learn another language, it’s kind of like college all over again,” Mayo said. “It’s difficult to learn, but I’ve been studying hard, and hopefully, I can get the citizenship and be in L.A. for the Olympics. That would be sweet.”

Unfortunately, gaining Japanese citizenship would require Mayo to give up his American citizenship. Yet after six years in Japan — a country he “can’t see (himself) leaving” with how he’s come to love the culture and pace of life — it’s also a logical move, professional goals notwithstanding.

Messalonskee senior forward Nick Mayo, seen here as a senior forward for Messalonskee High School in 2015, shoots against Oxford Hills during a Class A tournament game at the Augusta Civic Center. Mayo is in his fourth season with the Hiroshima Dragonflies. Kennebec Journal file photo by Joe Phelan

Don’t think for a second, though, that Mayo has forgotten his roots back home. As the Messalonskee boys basketball team made its Class A North title run this winter, Mayo was following along. After all, this year’s Messalonskee seniors were the 7- and 8-year-olds cheering him on when played for the Eagles a decade ago.

“It’s hard with the (13-hour) time difference, but it was awesome to keep up with them,” Mayo said. “My mom’s always texting me links or keeps me up to date if I’m not able to watch it. They played really well, and I’m super proud of them for putting banners up at Messo.”