That May Not Be the Last of Jamel McLean

Over the past four years, former Xavier forward Jamel McLean has put in a lot of time and hard work on establishing himself as a professional basketball player. The odds weren’t in his favor coming out of college as he was not a high-ranked prospect or someone who garnered NBA consideration, but he got an opportunity in the Belgian League and from that has been able to carve out a nice career for himself since. A classic late bloomer who is starting to peak at 26 years old, McClean is now playing in the German League with Alba Berlin and looking better than ever. He’s seeing the fruits of his labor. Yet, ironically, it’s a shot that he’s never practiced before that has made him one of the biggest names in basketball this week.

McLean and Alba Berlin shocked the defending champion San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, defeating them 94-93 on a banked in floater from McLean from just inside the three point line as time expired.

“That was my first floater ever actually that I’ve ever even tried,” McLean said to Basketball Insiders. “Especially in the moment, a moment like that it just happens you know I’ve never practiced that shot or anything. It’s kind of like you said last second thing just get it up to the rim as quick as you know how.

“Honestly when I got the ball I was like, ‘oh man I didn’t believe I was in the situation to win the game’ and I just knew I had to get up the court and I realized the time was going by. The floater was the only shot that I knew I could get off at the time especially with that forward movement to stop and shoot would have been difficult. I kind of just let it go and you know I didn’t think it was going in and then I looked, it went in and it was just chaos after that.”

NBA preseason games typically don’t consist of a lot of excitement. They’re more about getting players in shape, integrating new pieces, getting familiar with systems and experimentation than winning. However, the Spurs are a veteran team with only one new piece in place. And, evident by four starters playing 30 minutes, they were in it to win it against Alba Berlin.

“We kind of thought it would be a game for them to warm up and the other guys would play,” McLean said. “And then midway thru the second half they were still in the game so it was kind of like ‘it’s on’. Both teams were just out there playing hard and really competing.

“Once we got over the first, when you see Tim Duncan and Ginobli and you’re actually playing against them it’s a different feeling. Then once we realized ok they don’t really care about how we feel about them, they’re trying to win, so we kind of just had to settle down. Just playing the game you could tell those guys have been playing for a long time even the way they moved the ball and communicated out there, it was somewhat difficult to guard those guys and once they get into you know game mode I think they’ll be championship contenders again this year.”

McLean didn’t just give the Spurs trouble in the game’s final moments. They struggled to contain him all game long as he led the team with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

“Honestly it was just playing hard and believing that I could play on that level,” McLean said. “You know matching up against some of the best players to gauge yourself as a player where you’re at and if you could compete on that level. I think that’s kind of how I approached and then I think I really you know got it going once I got into the rhythm of the game and understood how they were playing and just really wanted to play hard and let the rest speak for itself.”

As great of a moment as beating the Spurs was for McLean and Alba Berlin, there wasn’t much time to enjoy it because they were back on the road traveling for league play the next day. On Friday they topped BEKO Bundesliga 110-74 and McLean had another strong effort, posting 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists in the victory. He’ll be going up against German League competition for the rest of the season, but at the rate he’s been improving, we could see McLean going head-to-head with NBA players again soon, only as a member of the league himself. McLean spent some time with the Sacramento Kings last offseason and should receive his more serious look yet from NBA teams this upcoming summer.

“[Making the NBA] would be my dream,” McLean said. “I just take everything in stride each summer. I come home and figure out what they’re looking for and hopefully a team is looking for, you know the NBA is full of scorers and what not but maybe a glue guy or a stick guy who’s been around and knows the game a little bit, so there’s a window it’s a small window but you know I’m still aiming for it and just coming over here and playing and staying in top shape and developing my game each year and hopefully a team will take a chance on me.”