Jamahl Mosley had things to say after Orlando Magic finished the practice on Thursday. They were not basketball.
Upon hearing the news of Thursday’s shooting at Florida State University, with researchers who said two people died and six other injured, Mosley’s mind immediately moved away from playoff preparations.
For him, the thoughts of the next NBA playoffs series between The Magic and Defensor Boston Celtics champion, game 1 is Sunday, could wait.
“This is the opportunity at this time to talk about putting things in perspective,” Mosley said, without warning at the beginning of his availability of media and not taking any questions until he pronounced the words. “What is happening in the state of Florida … I just want to send thoughts, prayers so that things are handled quickly and that we can continue to pray for those who have been affected by this.
“Lives are more important, and human beings are more important than a basketball game or a playoff series at any time,” Mosley added. “And that is what we need to continually remember right now.”
Mosley, like many NBA coaches, has used their platform to talk about several issues when it feels that it is necessary or can be useful. Orlando is located in the center of the state, about 250 miles by car from the Florida state campus in Tallahassee, the state capital.
Magic striker Jonathan Isaac played a season in Florida State before entering the NBA.
“My mind is everywhere,” Isaac said after receiving the initial news, which broke while the magic practiced. “Obviously, I don’t have the details, but it’s tragic and I’m sad for that. I’m sad for anything that happens like this, but because it happens in Florida State, it means a lot.”
Isaac is very open about his faith and said he would trust that.
“The Bible says they cry with those who cry, they cry with those who cry,” Isaac said. “During this time it is not really a message of feeling good, ‘Oh, everything will be fine.’ We have to overcome this.
The conversation between Mosley and the journalists finally changed to basketball and the next series with the Celtics, but not before expressing more sadness and frustration about the tragedy.
“It’s about joining,” Mosley said. “It’s about finding the human being in everything we do, because lives are being lost and lost. We play a basketball game, but I think that the faster we can understand about joining how human beings, the best things can be.”
