Former Indiana Mr. Basketball Still Finds Solace In The Game

Nearly every spring since 1939 one high school senior in Indiana has been selected by the Indianapolis Star newspaper as Indiana Mr. Basketball.

A Prestigious List of Past Winners

The long list of recipients includes a remarkable roster of high school talent from across the Hoosier state, and basketball for that matter: Oscar Robertson at Indianapolis Crispus Attucks was named Mr. Basketball in 1956, Steve Alford from New Castle in 1983, Gary Roosevelt’s Glenn Robinson (1991), Jared Jefferies (2000) and Sean May both from Bloomington North (2002), Lawrence North’s Greg Oden (2006) and Eric Gordon (2007) from Indianapolis North Central, the Zeller brothers out of Washington (Luke in 2005, Tyler in 2008, Cody in 2011), and Center Grove’s Trayce Jackson-Davis in 2019.

David Magley Was Once the Guy

In 1978 David Magley from South Bend LaSalle High School was Him.

He was an Academic All-State selection and Parade Magazine All-American, but this accomplishment was different. Even forty-seven years after receiving the hallowed hoops honor, if you ask Magley about being named Indiana Mr. Basketball all those years ago he can’t help but think of her.

Honoring His Mother's Legacy

Everything she endured. Everything she sacrificed. Everything she saw and didn’t get to see.

“A week after my 18th birthday my mother passed away from a brutal battle with cancer. She’d spent my entire career in a wheelchair cheering me on. She asked to be buried early in the day so I could attend one period and be eligible to play that weekend,” shared Magley, a basketball lifer who today serves as President of The Basketball League and Basketball Super League.

“I’m not sure I was the best player in the state but I was definitely the best story.”

As he busily prepares for the start of the upcoming 2026 The Basketball League and Basketball Super League season which tips-off this spring as the third biggest professional basketball league in North America behind the NBA, and NBA G-League, Magley spoke with High School on SI about gaining the distinction of Indiana Mr. Basketball while suffering the loss of a parent, going on to play college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks, the realities in and out of the NBA, and his words of wisdom to those high school basketball players looking to one day pursue their own professional careers.

Can you take me back to 1978 and being named Mr. Basketball in Indiana in high school at South Bend LaSalle and what that moment meant to you?

It was the culmination of the most remarkable year of my life. A week after my 18th birthday my mother passed away from a brutal battle with cancer. She’d spent my entire career in a wheelchair cheering me on. She asked to be buried early in the day so I could attend one period and be eligible to play that weekend. The day we buried her I scored 40 points in the first half. The school record for a whole game was 41 points and my coach didn’t play me in the second because we were up by so much. The following game I broke the record by scoring 42 points.

At the holiday basketball tournament, I dislocated my shoulder and it looked like my career was over. My father found a lineman’s brace and it looked like I was playing with my shooting arm in a sling. The first game with it on I scored 38 points; I averaged 46 points per game for the rest of the season. We lost in the Sweet 16, and then I got named Mr. Basketball. I’m not sure I was the best player in the state but I was definitely the best story.

The level of high school talent at that time in Indiana is pretty impressive with Landon Turner and Randy Whittman in that class. What was your work ethic and routine like knowing the competition you were up against?

I grew up at a time when you didn’t play against your age group. You played against your talent level, and those were Notre Dame guys or my brothers. I could never beat my brother one-on-one and we played every day. I ran or hitchhiked all over town making certain I worked out at least twice per day. Every night included hitchhiking to Memorial Hospital and hoping someone would give me a ride home.

Do you have a favorite game or experience that comes to mind when you think about playing basketball at LaSalle?

Every game in the Lions Den was big but I’d say scoring 49 points in the sectionals in front of a sellout crowd against our arch rivals, South Bend Washington, and scoring 40 points the day we buried my mom.

Magley at KU — Big Man on Campus: In 1982, Magley led Kansas in scoring with 17.3 points per game and was voted the team's MVP on his way to earning First Team All-Big Eight and First Team Academic All-American honors as a senior. | David Magley

A lot has changed during the high school and college recruiting process. What was that time like for you and was playing college basketball at Kansas a no-brainer?

I actually met my eventual wife on a recruiting trip to Kansas. I took official visits to KU and Michigan and an unofficial visit to Purdue. Back then coaches could come by every day and call every night. We had to put restrictions in because I needed to go be with my mom so much.

It was flattering to get so much attention but honestly once I met my wife it was all Kansas. I figured if I was good enough the basketball would work itself out. I ended up starting for three years, scoring 1,000-plus points, grabbing 500-plus rebounds, and was First Team All-Conference and First Team Academic All American.

When starting to play in the NBA in 1982, did you ever imagine you’d be running your own professional basketball league?

I played in the NBA straight out of college as the 28th pick in the draft by Cleveland. I thought I was going to go higher but I heard Boston passed on me with the 23rd pick because my wife was an African American and the city wasn’t ready for that. I was asked to go on the IR when I wasn’t hurt – it was how the teams got around the 12-man roster. When I refused I was cut and the coach called the teams in the league saying things that weren’t true and I never got another look. Basically blackballed. I played for the Albany Patroons under Phil Jackson in the CBA and we won the championship in 1984 (the Patroons still compete today in the TBL). At that time I never thought I’d run a league. I only thought about playing pro and being a good husband and father.

You’ve also coached a little high school basketball in your day. How did being on the sidelines at Bradenton Christian High School in Florida make you a better coach and person?

I loved coaching at BCS. We had 11 twenty win seasons, reached the Elite 8 eight times, and four State Finals. Twenty-seven kids from the school went on to play in college. I spent six days a week with my guys. Kids don’t care what you know until they know that you care. I am still close to most of those young men today.

Magley at the Combine — David Magley (center) and The Basketball League will once again host their annual Draft Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana at the end of January, which has become a go-to event for young players looking to get their professional basketball start. | Wendell Maxey

With the tip-off of the 2026 TBL and BSL seasons right around the corner, will the majority of TBL games once again take place in high school gyms across North America?

25% arenas, 25% colleges, and 50% high schools.

What is it about high school gyms that make for a more personable way to watch a professional basketball game?

It’s more about the communities that embrace it than the venues. We have several 2,000 - 4,000 seat high school gyms in our league.

Many of the players aspiring to build their professional careers have not played beyond high school. What is your biggest word of advice?

Put in the work, stay ready, and keep dreaming. We are adding a new division next year called Prep2Pro or P2P that will be for young men from 15 years old to 19 years old. They will play before the TBL games and be a true Euro league style where the players will compete in practice all week and if they are good enough they play in TBL. The tag line will be “play to your level not your age”. Consider who the best players in the world are: Victor Wembanyama, Luka Dončić, Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The first four were pros at 15 and 16 years old. The time is now for change.