[TimesPicayune] Davis, Magloire selected All-Stars

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http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/107587965930470.xml Davis, Magloire selected All-Stars N.O. guard, center among East reserves Wednesday February 04, 2004 By Jimmy Smith Staff writer Hornets center Jamaal Magloire looked rather grim Tuesday morning in the lobby of the Alario Center as vice-president of public and media relations Harold Kaufman approached. "I've got some bad news," Kaufman told Magloire. "Oh, yeah," Magloire said, dejectedly. "You won't be able to spend All-Star weekend in Toronto," Kaufman told him, "because you're going to L.A. You made it." Magloire's countenance brightened considerably as he accepted congratulations on making the NBA All-Star Game for the first time, including several running, jumping bear-hugs from New Orleans' other All-Star, guard Baron Davis. Both players were among the seven Eastern Conference reserves selected by coaches and announced by the league Tuesday. The game will be played at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Feb. 15. Davis, in his fifth season, will make his second All-Star appearance. Magloire, the 19th pick in the 2000 draft, is in his fourth year. "I'm ecstatic and in awe," Magloire said after practice. "It's good to see that my efforts have been recognized and that I was able to achieve one of my goals. . . . I was on Cloud Nine. "I was surprised and relieved. I knew I had a good shot, but I also knew there were some other centers out there who had as equal a shot as I did. I always had goals and aspirations ever since I started playing this game of being an All-Star in the NBA, back to grade six. Now that I am, I feel good." While Magloire's selection might have, to him, been an unexpected surprise, Davis' choice was not. The conference Player of the Month in November, Davis has carried the Hornets all season. "This just goes to show that hard work pays off," said Davis, who reported to training camp 15 pounds lighter in October. "I'm thankful to my family and friends for being in my corner, to my teammates for making me a better player and my coaches for providing the offense for me to show my game." But what makes his selection extra special, Davis said, is that he'll play in his native Los Angeles. "It's going to be real sweet to be back home," said Davis, who went out on a limb and secured about 20 game tickets before learning he'd made the team. "Just to be at an All-Star Game at your house, to be able to go back to your old neighborhood and do some things there, as well as everybody that you've ever known in your life who helped you at some point to succeed will be there." Davis is fifth in the league in scoring (23.3 points per game), fourth in assists (7.9) and second in steals (2.4) this season. He is second in 3-point field goals made (123) and leads in 3-point attempts (405). Magloire, a Toronto, Canada, native, is 12th in the league in rebounds (9.4) and averages 11.7 points per game. He has a team-leading 20 point-rebound double-doubles (tied for 15th in the league). This is the second time the Hornets have sent two players to the All-Star Game. In 1995, Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning were reserves. "Everybody in this organization is proud of Jamaal. He's very deserving," Hornets coach Tim Floyd said. "He's an improving player. The one thing that he's done is improve every year he's been in the league. It's a reward for all that hard work he's put in. "And Baron, that's outstanding. I didn't mention him because it was understood he'd make it. It would have been a travesty had he not been selected. He's had a wonderful, wonderful year." . . . . . . . Jimmy Smith can be reached at jsmith@timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3814. -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 218.166.77.22