New Orleans Pelicans head coach Jamahl Mosley is ready to put in the work to become a part of the city's community.
The New Orleans Pelicans recently hired Jamahl Mosley as their new head coach, and he was introduced publicly with a press conference on Tuesday.
This was the first chance for Mosley to speak to the fans and media since getting hired, so he touched on all the bases. There was a lot of talk about what to expect on the court, but Mosley also emphasized what happens off it.
Here is what the coach had to say about the city of New Orleans during his opening comments:
"The city has been absolutely phenomenal. I talked about the food [previously in the press conference], but the people have been amazing. The kindness that they've shown, the welcome they've shown for my family and me, I can't say enough. And one of the biggest things that I believe in is the community. How to be more involved, how to change lives, not just on the basketball court, but off the court. We're on this court for a short period of time, but the legacy that we leave is more than the court."
It wasn't just a one-off, throwaway line for Mosley, either. It was clear in speaking to the coach a couple of times throughout the day that he truly wants to make a positive impact on the community. He even mentioned it as a quality that he liked in the assistant coaches that he brought over from the Orlando Magic.
Mosley seems sincere about his excitement about being in the city. He said he has been told by all of his peers that have experience in the city that it is their favorite place they have lived.
The coach, who has a wife and three kids, said that it didn't take as much convincing as Orlando did for his family and that they have also been all-in since making the move.
It's what Mosley is supposed to say, but it certainly feels like more than just words, though. He backed it up in Orlando, committing to team activities for charity work and youth basketball camps.
Community is important everywhere, but especially in New Orleans. Connecting with the city and the people from it is an easy way to win brownie points, and ignoring it is a sure way to get run out of town. Mosley seems committed to actually pulling through, though.
"Knowing the history of New Orleans, with what they've been through, but what they have created. The culture of the food, the culture of the music. Those things are powerful. There is that hospitality you feel everywhere you go," said the coach in a sit-down with Seth Lewis of WWL.
