Jumpers in the snow

Basketball Digest, Sept-Oct, 2004 by Tom Worgo

NEW ORLEANS HORNETS CENter Jamaal Magloire learned how to play basketball growing up in Toronto, on playgrounds covered with ice and snow, where harsh winters left the ground frozen for much of the year. Without many gyms available, Magloire grew accustomed to the tough conditions.

"I found myself outside playing in the bitter cold for a lot of my life," he says. "I saw a lot of snowstorms. The ball bounces in the snow. It built up my character and made me resilient. It made me stronger and contributed to the player I am today."

In 2003-04, Magloire was an All-Star for the first time in his four-year career. In the process, Magloire became only the second Canadian All-Star (Steve Nash was the other). And he's coming into his own at the perfect time. For 2004-05, the Hornets move into the Western Conference, which means more difficult matchups every night. But the 6'11", 260-pound Magloire welcomes the opportunity to battle Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, and Yao Ming.

"I don't back down from anybody," says Magloire, 26. "I look forward to the challenge of playing the best centers in the league. Some of the best players are in the Western Conference."

The Washington Wizards' Brendan Haywood says that Magloire's rugged style of play will fit in well in the West. "I can't see anybody else out there dominating Jamaal," Haywood explains.

Magloire, nicknamed the Big Cat, possesses the mental toughness to hold his own against the league's best, according to teammate Jamal Mashburn. "Jamaal is the type of guy I compare to Alonzo Mourning in the aspect of being a fierce competitor," he says.

With Mashburn out of the lineup in the final weeks of the 2003-04 season, Magloire stepped up and played the best basketball of his career. In 30 games after the All-Star break, he averaged 16.4 points and 11.9 rebounds.

Magloire's production even started to change before Mashburn's knee injury, as his All-Star Game appearance gave him a big dose of confidence. Magloire led the Eastern All-Stars with 19 points and eight rebounds, silencing the critics who said that he didn't belong at the game. He was only one of four players on his team to average a double-double (13.6 points and 10.3 rebounds) for the season.

"There was a lot of discussion as to whether he should have been an All-Star in the game," former New Orleans coach Tim Floyd says of Magloire. "I don't think anyone would question him after how he played in that game and how he played from that day forward."

Haywood adds: "I was really hurt when a lot of people disrespected him when he made the All-Star Team, talking about it being LeBron's spot. Jamaal deserved to be there."

Magloire has only been a starter for two years. He's shown steady, if not stellar, improvement each season, learning the game's nuances from teammate and power forward P.J. Brown. As a result, Magloire's numbers have increased every year. He's been more comfortable playing with his back to the basket and more aggressive in pursuing rebounds.

Magloire's improvement has made him an imposing presence at both ends of the court. In 2003-04, he became only one of four players in Hornets history to have had 40 points-rebounds double-doubles in a season.

"He has a promising future," New Orleans point guard Baron Davis says. "He really has developed into a force inside."

Magloire spent four years at the University of Kentucky before the Hornets selected him with the 19th overall pick in the 2000 draft. Of the players chosen ahead of Magloire, only Kenyon Martin, the No. 1 pick overall by the New Jersey Nets, can be talked about in the same breath as Magloire.

"He came into the league as a non-scorer and just as a rebounder/defender," Floyd says of Magloire. "A lot of guys who get into the league are content with the level of skill that got them to the NBA. They tend to work hard during the season and maybe don't put as much work in skill development in the offseason as Jamaal.

"It becomes more about conditioning in the offseason. Jamaal has been able to do both. If that continues, he will continue to improve."

One thing's for sure: He's come a long way from a snowy playground.