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February 15, 2002Favorite Sun: TC's Dan Majerle reflects on an NBA career that's winding downBy JEFF PEEKRecord-Eagle staff writer AUBURN HILLS - The thunder has grown quieter and more distant these days. There was a time when Dan Majerle made plenty of noise on the basketball court. His aggressive style and enthusiastic dunks earned him the nickname "Thunder" and propelled him to three NBA All-Star game appearances. But age and injuries have caught up to the greatest all-around athlete Traverse City has ever produced. On Tuesday night he played his final game in his home state, admitting prior to the Phoenix Suns-Detroit Pistons contest at The Palace that - after 14 grueling seasons in the NBA - the end is merely months away. "It's time," said Majerle, 36. "My body doesn't feel good. It isn't what it used to be. It's a real struggle some days. "It's just not as fun anymore, plus my kids are starting to grow up and I don't want to miss that." Only 32 regular-season games remain in Majerle's illustrious career, a career that has found success at every level - the high school playoffs, the NCAA tournament, the Olympics and the NBA Finals. Surely Majerle must feel some sadness, realizing that the life he has known for so many years is about to change. "Sad? No, I'm not sad at all," Majerle said. "After all that I've done? What's there to be sad about? I've had an incredible run. Just incredible." Growing up in TC Born Sept. 9, 1965, the second son of Frank and Sallie Majerle grew up in a modest home on Seventh Street and admits he spent "most of my time playing sports." Dan and his older brother Steve, now 37, would tag along with their sports-loving father. Jeff, the youngest of the Majerle brothers, would eventually join them. Oddly enough, basketball wasn't Dan's favorite sport. "We grew up playing more baseball and football," Majerle said. "I didn't really start playing basketball until I was older. It was probably the sport I played the least." Steve, now head basketball coach at Rockford High School, said the Majerle boys played whatever sport was in season. "We just followed my dad around," Steve said. "He played football, softball, YMCA basketball. Wherever he went, we went. And we always had a ball in our hands. It was a great way to grow up." All three Majerle sons found success on the athletic field, but they were a step above on the basketball court. They played more as they grew older, and the basketball hoop at the Majerle house became a favorite gathering place for neighborhood kids. But no two players went at it harder than Steve and Dan. "We would go one-on-one and Dad would stand on the deck and referee," Steve recalled. "Of course, there were no fouls, so things would get pretty physical." How physical? "Punches were thrown a few times - oh, yeah," Steve said. "There were a bunch of 'I quits' and 'I'm taking my ball.' It toughened us up." Steve said the Majerle brothers' competitive spirit has never faded. He remembers a pick-up game at Mount Pleasant Junior High a few years back that pitted Steve and former Central Michigan University assistant Denny Kuiper against Dan and one of his former CMU teammates, Chip Pisoni. "Again, there was no such thing as a foul in those games. You never called one on the other guy," Steve said. "So I drove on Pisoni and accidentally nailed him in the nose with my elbow. It was pretty ugly; we thought he'd broken it. And Dan called a foul. "I could believe it," he said. "There was a little money on the line in that game. Words were exchanged, the ball was thrown. It got a little heated, just like when we were kids." So then what happened? "Dan decided that enough was enough," Steve said. "He dunked like four straight times. But you don't have to print that part of it." Asked about the incident, Dan feigned ignorance. "I don't remember that," he said. "Are you sure that happened?" "Oh, he remembers," Steve said. "That story's been told many times over the years. He's yanking your chain. "And, by the way, that wasn't a foul." Steve and Dan were teammates on the Traverse City Central varsity, but Dan's breakthrough season came in his senior year in 1982-83, a year after Steve had graduated. He averaged 37.5 points and 16 rebounds as the Trojans advanced to the Class A quarterfinals. Majerle credits Tom Kozelko, a 1969 Traverse City graduate who played three NBA seasons for Washington in the early 1970s, for helping to raise his game to another level. Kozelko, who is 6-8, taught the growing Majerle how to play with his back to the basket and use his physical strength and size to his advantage. Kozelko, 51, claims Majerle gives him more credit than he deserves, but Majerle pulls no punches. "Not true. Tom deserves a lot credit," Majerle said. "We worked a lot of hours together, and so did my dad. Coming from Traverse City, there's just not a lot of guys around who've played in the NBA. So having someone there everyday who knows what it takes to make it that far really helped a lot." Kozelko said the difference between him and Majerle was "Dan had a lot more athletic ability than I did." "He did a lot of things that I could never do," he said. "He had so many things going for him. Obviously, the physical talent was there. But he learned things so quickly - you told him something once and you never had to tell him again. And his competitive spirit and leadership skills carried him. He pushed everyone around him to a higher level. "All the great players I played with and against had those qualities." Fortunately for Central Michigan University head coach Dick Parfitt, who began following Majerle as a junior, Majerle accepted a scholarship offer from the Chippewas before his senior season started. Had CMU waited, Majerle would have been highly sought after by bigger schools with more prestigious programs. As it turned out, the marriage was a perfect fit for both Majerle and the Chippewas. Making a name Majerle's college career didn't start out well, however. A back injury wiped out his freshman season, and the injury bug seemed to dog him during his five years at CMU. But he played over most of those injuries, and when he was on the court Majerle attracted attention from opposing defenses and the media. During his sophomore year with the Chippewas, the 6-foot-6, 220-pound Majerle became the "Thunder" half of CMU's potent "Thunder and Lightning" duo, along with hot-shot junior-college transfer Ervin Leavy. The following season, 1986-87, the two led the Chippewas to the Mid-American Conference title, the team's first since 1978-79. Central advanced to the NCAA tournament, but Reggie Miller and UCLA knocked the Chippewas out. Majerle's final college season was a personal success - he average 23.7 points and finished his career with 2,055 points - but the Chippewas placed second in the MAC and did not advance to post-season play. Majerle did receive an invitation to try out for the 1988 U.S. Olympic team, however, and it was during those tryouts that he turned the heads of NBA scouts. His performance and potential caught the attention of Phoenix head coach Cotton Fitzsimmons, who made Majerle the 14th selection in the 1988 NBA draft. Suns fans weren't impressed, however. They booed the announcement of Majerle's selection at a Phoenix draft party that day. Fitzsimmons stepped to the microphone and defended the rookie, announcing confidently, "You're going to be sorry you ever booed this guy." Those fans soon found out why. Georgetown coaching legend John Thompson, head coach of Team USA, selected Majerle for the Olympic team. And few could have guessed that the gritty swingman from northern Michigan would eventually lead the team in scoring. Not with David Robinson manning the post. It wasn't the first time that Majerle proved his doubters wrong, nor was it his last. NBA success Majerle's blue-collar work ethic played well in Phoenix, a growing city chock full of midwestern transplants who appreciated his all-out effort. Knowing that he would be more valuable in the NBA as an outside player, Majerle worked hard to strengthen his jump shot, and he eventually grew into one of the league's top three-point shooters. His defensive skills were always an asset, and he gained a strong reputation for his ability to come off the bench and provide the spark needed to turn games around. He fell one vote short of winning the NBA's Sixth Man Award in 1990-91. In seven seasons with the Suns, Majerle averaged 14.6 points, played in three NBA All-Star games (1992, '93, '95) and was a key member of the 1992-93 team that lost to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals. Majerle said memories of that championship series are the best - and worst - of his professional career. "It was unbelievable, it really was," Majerle said. "Having my family there, having the opportunity to play for a title... That whole season was great." Phoenix lost the first two games of the Finals at home, but the Suns took two of three in Chicago, including a triple-overtime affair in Game 3 that saw Majerle tie an NBA Finals record with six three-pointers. He eventually established a series record with 17 three-pointers, and he is still the Suns' career leader in that category. But John Paxton's three-pointer with 3.9 seconds left in Game 6 beat Phoenix and gave the Bulls their third straight title, 4-2. "Greatest memories, greatest disappointment," Majerle said. Majerle's performance in the Finals only heightened his popularity in the Arizona valley, and his newly-opened restaurant near the Suns' arena - "Majerle's Sports Bar and Grill" - was a huge success. He now owns two "Majerle's" in the city; his brother Jeff manages one. Prior to the 1995-96 season, however, Majerle's basketball success in Phoenix came to a stunning halt when he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, along with Antonio Lang and a first-round pick, for John Williams. The deal was a bust for both teams. Majerle played just one season in Cleveland before leaving for Miami as a free agent. He spent five years with the Heat, but he never found the success - individually or as a team - that he had known in Phoenix. With his career nearing its end and looking to finish in the city he had adopted as his own, Majerle signed for the league minimum salary so he could return to Phoenix prior to this season. Turning for home Majerle's farewell tour hasn't gone exactly as planned. He broke the ring finger on his right hand in October and missed a month of action. He was later sidelined with a severe case of the flu, and a series of minor injuries have followed. Even now, his playing time under head coach Scott Skiles has been sporadic. The 24 minutes he played against the Pistons on Tuesday were his most in weeks. Plus, the Suns - who have been floundering around the .500 mark - haven't performed as well as many had predicted. Retirement, Majerle said, has moved from a consideration to a certainty in the last month or so. "The last couple of years, especially, have dragged," Majerle said. "Early in your career the years fly past. Miami was fun, but it started to slow down. Part of it was not being on the court as much. It's a different sort of feel. "This season I'll play 20 minutes one game, six the next and sometimes not at all," he said. "For a guy who's used to being out there a lot, it's a big adjustment." Deciding to retire has actually been uplifting, Majerle said. "It's my last year, so I'm trying to adjust as best I can and just go out and have fun," he said. "I've been thinking about it more as I've played in certain cities for the last time - like Boston and here. "Knowing that it's my last game there, I just try to make the most of it." Asked if he could envision any scenario that would entice him to return for one more season, Majerle was defiant. "No," he said. "No way." Majerle certainly sounds like someone who is looking forward to the next chapter in his life. He and his wife, Tina, have three daughters - Madison, 6; McKenzie, 4; and Mia, 1 - and the family recently moved into a new home built on a Phoenix-area golf course. Majerle is an avid golfer and plays on the Celebrity Golf Tour each summer. Now, he said, there will be more time for golf and everything else he can't get enough of during the NBA season - most importantly his family and friends. Majerle said he expects to return to Traverse City more often than he has in recent years. Frank and Sallie moved out of their Seventh Street home during Dan's college years and still live in the same unpretentious house they were in on the day he was drafted into the NBA. And although they have made several trips to Arizona to visit - they drove there, in fact, earlier this week - Dan hasn't been a frequent visitor to the city where it all started. He hopes to change that. "I'm looking forward to coming back more," Majerle said. "When I played with Miami I still lived in Phoenix, so I traveled a lot. When I got home the last thing I wanted to do was get on a plane with the kids and take another trip. "But they want to visit. They want to see the snow. We'll be able to do that now." Until then, Majerle still has some work to do on the basketball court. He hopes that he can help a young, talented team gain some momentum in the coming weeks and make a run in the Western Conference playoffs. He also hopes his body will cooperate. "The most frustrating thing is, I see the play happening and I know what I'm supposed to do; my body just doesn't react like it used to," said Majerle, who has scored more than 10,000 career points. "I'm just not the player I used to be." His older brother has noticed. "He's nearing the end, and that realization is tough for any athlete," Steve said. "But he's had a good run and he knows it. "It's funny," Steve said with a laugh. "When I watch a fast break on TV, Dan kind of disappears from the screen." Soon, so will his heralded basketball career. |
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