Jamahl Mosley on Monday expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the outpouring of support he has received since becoming the head coach of the Orlando Magic.
The Magic named Mosley their head coach on Sunday after an extensive hiring process in which they interviewed around a dozen candidates. Mosley spent the past seven years as an assistant coach under Rick Carlisle with the Dallas Mavericks.
Mosley arrives in Orlando highly regarded for his ability to develop and connect with players. He first began in player development and advance scouting with the Denver Nuggets in 2005 before becoming an assistant coach for three years with George Karl.
He was an assistant with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2010 to 2014.
“Jamahl has a unique set of abilities,” Magic president Jeff Weltman said. “He has an amazing interpersonal skill set with anyone and it stems from his compassion as a person. He is a great listener. He cares and wants to get involved in people’s lives.
“He is a true coach. He wants to make you better. Where we are is a perfect fit. Jamahl will come in and improve our players. They will know that everything he does is for and about them and as they get better, we get better.”
Mosley previously interviewed for several head coaching vacancies in the past and was even said to be a finalist for the Washington Wizards’ position. The trajectory of the Magic, as a team in a rebuild, appealed to Mosley and he ultimately believed Orlando was the best fit for him.
The hiring of Mosley was met with praise from around the NBA. Current and former players Luka Doncic, JJ Redick and Richard Jefferson offered their support for Mosley as did Karl from their time together in Denver.
He was viewed as a strong candidate due to his longevity as a coach and rise through the ranks. His path resonated with those that know him, and the first-year head coach expressed his gratitude for all of the positive messages of support.
“It is super humbling,” Mosley said. “As a coach, all you want to do is make people better. You want to help people reach their potential. I’m only doing my job, that’s the way I look at it. When you see it is the result that people are happy you have done your job, it is extremely humbling. I’m seriously grateful for each and every single person that has reached out and said positive things.”
Congrats my guy🙌🙌🙌 https://t.co/IJLhUY4ohJ
— Luka Doncic (@luka7doncic) July 11, 2021
Mosley will inherit one of the youngest rosters in the NBA after the Magic traded veteran players Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier. He called the change of leadership an exciting time for the organization as it continues to grow on and off the court.
The team will add to its young core in the draft this month; it holds the fifth and eighth picks. The organization will hope to tap into Mosley’s ability to build relationships and hold players accountable to help the players reach the next level.
After grinding for several years as an assistant coach, Mosley will have the opportunity to lead an up-and-coming group the same way. If the Magic can experience anywhere near the same level of success Mosley did, they could be in for a bright future.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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