Orlando Magic unveil draft picks

Mo Bamba

ORLANDO, Fla. – Two cities in 16 hours can be tiring for anyone, but for the 6th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Mohamed “Mo” Bamba, it was more of a dream.

On Friday afternoon, the Orlando Magic introduced Bamba, Melvin Frazier and Justin Jackson as the franchise’s newest draft picks. As the news conference commenced, they stood in front of friends, family and media donning their new hats and jerseys.

Recommended Videos



But taking center stage at Friday’s presser was none other than former University of Texas Longhorn, and the Magic’s first pick, the man they call "Mo."

His 7-foot frame can catch just about anyone’s attention, as well as his reported 7-foot-10 wingspan, but in addition to his build, character and personality, Mo also has a deep knowledge, awareness and discipline on how to improve his game.

“To me, it's always been a matter of just me working on my craft and working on the art of it,” Mo said. “I firmly believe that you can't develop as a player until you understand who you are as a player and the adjustments you need to make as a player.”

Having played only one season at UT, Mo was still able to put up impressive stats. He averaged 12.9 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks during the 2017-2018 season.

Now it’s time to take his college talent to the big stage. It may only be day one with his new organization, but Mo already knows the expectations of him and what he will do to get there.

When asked if he could be a revolutionary player as an NBA center, his response was immediate.

“I think I have all the tools and the intangibles to be that kind of transcendent, big that the league is now kind of looking at and that the league really wants,” Mo said. “But really having the tools and the intangibles really mean nothing unless you're surrounded by the best and the one thing I could say about the Orlando Magic's organization is the attention to detail they've paid throughout the draft process."