The Wonderful Story of JaVale McGee
Joan Jett wrote a song called “Bad Reputation” in 1981, aggressively shouting “I don’t give a damn about my bad reputation” several times throughout the of the song.
If this was JaVale McGee’s favorite song, I wouldn’t be surprised.
Throughout the course of McGee’s 10-season career, no player has gone through more confusion, more ridicule, more hysterical moments, and more criticism than the man himself. In this piece, we’ll review the career of one of the most complex players in the league today.
BEGINNINGS: High School and College
JaVale McGee was destined to hoop far before his days in the NBA started. A star in high school, McGee was primarily a forward who possessed a lot of skill. His height, however, did cause him to have a jump to playing the center position when he committed to t
he University of Nevada to play college basketball. After a miserable freshman season (3PPG, 2RPG, LaVar Ball numbers), he bounced back and had a successful second year. He saw more minutes and touches within the offense. He jumped to 14PPG, 8RPG, and almost 3 BPG. This significant jump in production led McGee to be a serious prospect on Draft Night. Eventually, he heard his name called with the 18th pick by the Washington Wizards in 2008. This was the beginning of the strange and seasoned career that McGee has had.
THE HONEYMOON YEARS: Washington Wizards
Amazingly, for people who only know McGee as the guy who’s been on Shaqtin’ A Fool far too many times, he wasn’t always just a basketball clown who’s doubted as a true NBA player. Being a mid-first-round draft pick, Washington needed to utilize him (keep in mind, this was before the John
Wall-era). As a backup Center, McGee played less than 17 minutes per game throughout his first two seasons. He still put up almost 7PPG and 4RPG, which are respectable for a backup rookie. It wasn’t until his third season that McGee had a breakout year with the Wizards and reached the peak of his career as an aggressive defensive presence which matched with the positive strides he made on the offensive end.
McGee averaged over 10 PPG while finishing top 10 in blocks and FG% for the next three seasons. He led the league in block percentage in 2010-11. He even competed in the 2011 NBA Dunk Contest. There he set a Guinness World Record by dunking three basketballs in one jump. Unfortunately, he was edged out by Blake Griffin’s car jumping shenanigans. These were the golden years of JaVale McGee and the times where he was truly a killer.
THE DISINTEGRATION: Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers, Dallas Mavericks
After being traded to the Denver Nuggets, JaVale McGee was never the same. His numbers slowly got smaller as a Nugget, slipping from 10PPG to 7PPG and eventually back to below his rookie averages with 4 PPG. Around this time is when JaVale McGee started frequenting Shaquille O’Neal’s “Shaqtin’ A Fool”. On the program, players who have stupid plays or mistakes get compiled by Shaq. JaVale’s struggles in Denver were further plagued by his repetitive appearance on the program throughout his Nuggets/76ers/Mavericks days, which lasted a whole five seasons. It seemed that JaVale McGee had finally given up and would eventually fall off the face of the NBA after receiving the Shaqtin’ A Fool MVP in it’s inaugural and second years. These clips slowed down McGee’s drive and production.
THE RESURRECTION: Golden State Warriors
Do you have a desire to maintain a legacy? To make sure you’re still successful? To be valued where any other team would give you veteran’s minimum? If you answered yes to these questions, you should join the Golden State Warriors (or your name is David West, Andre Iguodala, or Shaun Livingston)!
McGee’s move to the Golden State Warriors has definitely given him a resurgence in his career. Although his stat-line doesn’t reflect the early 2010’s Wizards JaVale, he’s been a big deal on the boards and has been a great post replacement for a disappointing Zaza Pachulia. His hard screen-and-rolls open a presence close to the basket with the necessary athleticism and speed to play in a high energy/high IQ system like the Warriors. Also, in 2017, McGee received the Shaqtin’ A Fool Golden Tick
et, which provides immunity from the program for the rest of his career. McGee is now an NBA Champion with the Warriors and a solid big man, a big step up from the last six years of devastation.
Wanna talk basketball? Hit my Twitter: @JDavidsenPS
Dedicated to Will Steed, thanks for the basketball talk.