Magic's Jamahl Mosley Discusses Journey, Coaching Luka Doncic

Jamahl Mosley was an assistant for the Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers and Dallas Mavericks before getting hired by the Orlando Magic as their head coach.

Oct 30, 2022; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) talks with Orlando Magic / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

ORLANDO — For as much attention as the Orlando Magic have garnered for their youth and how much they improved, the players aren't the only ones very much learning as they go.

Jamahl Mosley finished his third year as the Magic's head coach and has helped oversee their growth from winning just 22 games to winning 47 this season, earning the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs and pushing the Cleveland Cavaliers seven games in the first round. Mosley's role in Orlando's success helped him finish second for Coach of the Year.

Before becoming the head man for the Magic, Mosley was an assistant in the NBA for 15 seasons with the Denver Nuggets (2006-2010), Cleveland Cavaliers (2010-2014) and Dallas Mavericks (2014-2021). Mosley spoke on the difference in going from assistant to head coach on former Magic player JJ Redick's podcast, "Old Man and The Three," noting that the biggest shift is going from being a voice in the decision to the one who has final say.

"The opinion versus the final decision," Mosley said. "As an assistant, you're constantly throwing out opinions of what you should and could do and then you're looking at the head coach sometimes like 'well why aren't we doing that?' And there's information that the head coach has that helps make the final decision with all of it. That was the biggest thing for me."

Redick was drafted by the Magic in 2006 and played in Orlando for seven seasons.

The ability to manage players, especially superstars, also comes with the job, and Mosley gained vital experience in his time with the Mavericks when the team drafted superstar guard Luka Doncic in 2018. While many get caught up in the player and ability on the court, Mosley noted the role in connecting with Doncic beyond who he was on the court had in building their relationship during their time in Dallas.

"A big portion of it was the human side," Mosley said. "I think people forget that a lot of times. They get caught up in that he's the star, he's this, but they just want to be who they are and they need people around them who can treat them just as who they are and that was big with Luka."

The job Mosley has done has been imperative in Orlando going from a young rebuilding team when he first arrived in 2021 to one that made the playoffs three seasons later and has the potential to become one of the Eastern Conference's best for years to come. The Magic have also developed one of the best young tandems in basketball with Franz Wagner and former No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero, who is on the brink of superstardom after his playoff performance.

If Mosley can continue to grow as a coach and develop players, the Magic will have a shot to go from a young ascending team to one that's consistently a contender and be a blueprint for other rebuilding teams.

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