MIAMI — On Wednesday, Philadelphia 76ers big man Mo Bamba will play his first game in Orlando since being traded by the Magic at the 2023 deadline. He played 266 games for the Magic across 4 1/2 seasons before being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Now with the Sixers, Bamba is looking forward to seeing his former teammates. The veteran out of Texas has many memories with former Sixers guard Markelle Fultz, Wendell Carter Jr., Cole Anthony and plenty of others.
“That’s family over there,” Bamba said of the Magic. “All those guys. I’m probably going to stop by Jalen Suggs’s mom’s house tomorrow (Tuesday) just to kick it or whatever, but that’s family. Cole, Wendell, Kelle, those are guys that I grew up with in the league and this is my first chance to actually play against them. We played them in LA when I was in LA, I was hurt, but it’s gonna be fun.”
Considering how young those Magic teams were, it’s no wonder Bamba has love for his former teammates. They entered the league at a similar time and grew up together. The bond is still there.
“Absolutely,” he said with a smile. “Still in the group chat. Still making jokes, but it’s kind of a bond I think we’ll have for life.”
As for Bamba’s season, he’s averaging 4.4 points and 2.6 rebounds in his first season in Philadelphia. He had 18 points off the bench in the Christmas Day loss to the Miami Heat, so the challenge is to build off that. He understands he could’ve been better against the Heat.
“I’m not necessarily concerned, but I’m more so just thinking about the opportunities I could’ve had to end their possessions,” Bamba lamented after the loss. “There was a bunch of chances. It’s hard to rebound out of a zone because it’s hard to find a man when you’re in a zone, but I gotta figure it out.”
If Joel Embiid (sprained ankle) can’t go, Bamba will have the chance to have another big game in his return to Orlando.
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