To make it as a professional basketball player, you need to be at the right place at the right moment. One might make the same argument about JaVale McGee, who has won three NBA championships while being a bench player for all three teams.
To have played for the Golden State Warriors, a team that would go on to win two championships in as many years, was a dream come true for McGee.
In addition, he spent last season with the LeBron-led Los Angeles Lakers, helping the Purple and Gold to within one win of the NBA Finals. In this essay, we shall analyse McGee’s championship seasons with his clubs.
Career Highlights: JaVale McGee
His career stats are 7.9 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 57% FG. JaVale McGee, a native of Flint, Michigan, attended three separate secondary institutions during his education. He then transferred to the University of Nevada, where he had a solid sophomore campaign statistically, averaging 14 points and 7 rebounds.
After a successful season, McGee entered the 2008 NBA Draft and was picked by the Washington Wizards. In his final two seasons as a Wizard, McGee showed promise by posting double-doubles (over 10 points and 8 rebounds per game).
He was traded to the Denver Nuggets in 2012 and saw limited action in a reserve capacity for the rest of that team’s four seasons. During the course of the next two seasons, he played for Philadelphia and Dallas before finally settling in with Golden State.
Halfway into building their dynasty, the Warriors gladly accepted the quirky McGee. McGee was a vital contributor off the bench for both of the Warriors’ championship runs, scoring in double digits several times in pivotal playoff games.
After racking up two championships with the Warriors, he made the short hop to the Los Angeles Lakers to serve as Anthony Davis’s backup for two seasons and add to his collection of championship hardware.
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Three Championship Years for JaVale McGee
NBA Champion: 2016-2017 Golden State Warriors (beat Cleveland 4-1). Even though they didn’t win the championship, Golden State almost had a season as good as their historic 2016 campaign.
The Warriors made it seem easy most nights after adding Kevin Durant to a roster that already featured Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. JaVale McGee had a supporting role in the 2016–17 season for the Warriors but delivered when it mattered most.
In Games 2 and 3, he scored 15 and 14 points, respectively, to help the Warriors sweep the Portland Trailblazers in the first round. The Warriors won the NBA Finals and the series against the Cavaliers to claim the championship.
JaVale McGee didn’t have much of an impact on this Warriors team loaded with All-Stars, but he made good decisions and was very effective in the postseason.
During the course of 17 postseason games, he had a 72% field goal percentage and 15 blocks. Everyone on Golden State had his back, and he had theirs. He was a fantastic teammate.
This year’s Golden State Warriors (Beat Cleveland 4-0)
The Warriors were unstoppable in 2017, further solidifying their status as one of the NBA’s all-time best teams. They have won the NBA championship in 2015 and 2017. In 2016, they set an NBA record by winning 73 regular season games.
The 2018 squad exhibited unparalleled unity among its players. Even JaVale McGee made some strides, becoming a key reserve, and ultimately helping the club win games. After the All-Star break, he was even put into the starting lineup.
Once the playoffs kicked off, McGee and the Warriors were once again considered title favourites. Through the first three rounds of the playoffs, they only lost five games. For the fourth year in a row, the Warriors intended to face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.
Some of JaVale McGee’s best play came in Games 2 and 3 of the Finals, despite flashes of brilliance throughout the playoffs. McGee shot 6/6 from the field and scored 12 points in Game 2. Later, in Game 3, he scored 10 points while playing only 14 minutes. The Warriors swept the Cavaliers in four games thanks to their dominance.
Los Angeles Lakers, 2019-20 Season (Beat Miami 4-2)
When LeBron James won his first two championships, JaVale McGee was on the other end. After that, he joined the Lakers, who were favourites to repeat as champions in 2020, and found himself paired with him.
McGee, as usual, was one of two Lakers big men to take control of the paint as Anthony Davis rested. In addition, McGee did not waste any of his playing time. During the regular season, JaVale played an average of 16 minutes per game and scored in double figures 14 times.
In addition, he blocked shots in at least three of every twelve games he played. He didn’t have a major impact in the postseason and didn’t even play in the championship series. Yet, the Lakers’ success in securing the number one seed in the playoffs was greatly due to his contributions.
Possibility of Adding Additional Bands?
JaVale McGee started the 2020-21 season with the worst team in the NBA, the Cavs, although he spent most of the year involved in trade rumours. Before the trade deadline, the Denver Nuggets acquired him to play a supporting role to Nikola Jokic, who is a leading candidate for league MVP.
Last year, Denver advanced all the way to the Western Conference Finals; this year, they’ve strengthened their playoff chances by acquiring McGee and young star Aaron Gordon from the Magic at the trade deadline.
If the Nuggets can find a way to work together as a unit, they will have a great shot at reaching the NBA Finals, a location McGee is quite familiar with. He proved that he still has some basketball left in him by averaging nearly 8 points and 8 rebounds on 52% shooting for the Cavs.
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Conclusion
The career of JaVale McGee has been, to put it mildly, eventful. Before he reached the pinnacle of NBA greatness, he was a young, potentially disruptive pro player.
While McGee’s career averages of 8 points and 5 rebounds aren’t very impressive in the context of NBA history, he will forever be remembered for some remarkable events in the game, including lifting the NBA Championship trophy on three separate times.
