Bamba keeps family close as dreams come true
NEW YORK » Mohamed “Mo” Bamba’s family didn’t have to travel far to see their favorite son live his dream of being a firstround draft pick in the NBA.
All they had to do was hop on the 2 train to make the trip from their home in Harlem to Brooklyn.
“The 2 train literally takes me a block away from my house,” Bamba said after being taken by the Orlando Magic with the sixth pick in the NBA Draft Thursday night at the Barclays Center. “It was a close commute. … It was like literally a 20-minute train ride.”
It was a dream come true for the 7-0, 225-pound University of Texas center, who played his scholastic ball at the Westtown School in Chester County.
“To be able to be drafted here in New York is just, I don’t know, words can’t explain it,” Bamba said, “especially by an organization who values all my values. It’s going to be awesome.”
It’s easy to see why the Magic liked Bamba. He’s long with a 7-10 wing span, which makes him an elite rim protector. Yet he does not want to be labeled as a one-dimensional player. Bamba said he has spent a lot of time working on his 3-point shot.
“Have you see the direction of the league?” Bamba said. “It’s very important because I want to be a guy who can stay on the floor for the four, five minutes of the game and be able to stretch the floor and shoot and space the floor like that. It’ll open up the floor for a lot of my teammates.”
Bamba led the Big 12 in rebounding (10.5), blocked shots (3.7) and double-doubles (15) in his only year in Austin. He also scored at a 12.9 clip. Even though he turned 20 a little more than a month ago and has his entire career ahead of him, Bamba has set his sights high.
“When it’s all said and done, I want to be walking across the stage and I want to be pulling a jacket that has this little seal that says, ‘Hall of Fame,” Bamba said. “There’s a lot to do before that, trust me, and it’s a lofy goal, but that’s the mindset that I’m going to have to have to do that. I’m going to be a special one.
“But there’s a lot of goals in between that. I definitely want to be Defensive Player of the Year. I truly believe I can be that caliber of a defender early on in my career. I’m just — I’m sorry, I’m just excited.”