Orlando Magic's Jamahl Mosley Has 'So Much Gratitude' After Coaching Team USA
ORLANDO - Few coaches had a more impactful summer than Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley.
Mosley spent his time as an assistant coach for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup. With his time on the staff, Mosley got to learn from some of the NBA's best coaches, including Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, Los Angeles Clippers head coach Ty Lue and Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra.
That time with Kerr, Lue and Spoelstra, among other coaches, was time that Mosley didn't take for granted.
"There was so much gratitude for being there with Steve Kerr, Ty Lue, Erik Spoelstra, Mark Few, Jim Boylen, Matt Painter, and Jeff Van Gundy," Mosley said on the HoopsHype Podcast. "I think there was so much knowledge in that room. The one thing that stood out more than anything with that group of guys with the knowledge they had was the low ego."
Mosley also got to coach a familiar face in Paolo Banchero, who also got valuable experience from representing Team USA in the tournament.
Among the key takeaways for Mosley was how selfless everyone one. As opposed to coaches just focusing on themselves, they were more concerned with how they can get their players better for the tournament and as they prepare for the upcoming NBA season.
Jamahl Mosley reacting as a play unfolds with his team.
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
"It was about how do we get these guys better?" Mosley said. "How do we pour into these guys and keep it as simple as possible to help them be who they are? It constantly came back to how do we help these guys be the best versions of themselves without dipping ourselves too far into it and making it about us. It was about something bigger."
Other key takeaways for the Magic head coach were ways he deploy his offense to take advantage of opposing defenses. The humility of other coaches he'll face during the regular season also stood out to him.
"There are X’s and O’s, and different things you see offensively, where you can manipulate a defense and defensive strategy details of where a guy is supposed to be on a rotation on the floor. But just the humility each of them showed in order to share information, knowing you’re going to compete against the guy during the year."
With the experience Mosley was able to gain, it could be pivotal in helping improve a young Magic team and maybe give them an edge down the stretch of the season as they look for their first playoff berth since 2020.
