LAS VEGAS _ Mo Bamba made it official Monday night, taking another step in his journey from New York City's blacktops to the 20,000-seat arenas of the NBA.
Bamba pored over a document in front of him, studied the wording and _ pen in hand _ signed his first professional contract.
"I'd say that was probably the 'it' moment," Bamba recalled. "The draft was also a good shining moment; it was kind of the 'it' moment. But signing that contract and seeing all the language and reading it and going through it? It was like, 'Oh, this is real.' "
Another jolt of reality followed Tuesday morning. Joined by roster hopefuls and second-year players, Bamba practiced with the Orlando Magic for the first time. Led by new Magic coach Steve Clifford, the workout went briskly, lasting just under two hours. But despite its speed, the session also cemented Bamba's new life: He's a pro now, with a new set of expectations and responsibilities.
Clifford and Orlando's assistant coaches spent those precious hours at UNLV's Cox Pavilion hammering home a combination of basic fundamentals and little details. Time is short. The Magic will begin their NBA Summer League schedule Friday, and Clifford and his coaches hope to set a foundation that will remain in place for training camp in late September.
"You can't play well unless you're organized," Clifford said Tuesday morning.
Steve Clifford describes the Magic's summer league goals in this video
Coach Steve Clifford describes the Orlando Magic's summer league goals in this video.
A standout center during his one-and-done season at the University of Texas and the sixth overall pick in the NBA draft a couple of weeks ago, Bamba already possesses an impressive resume for a 20-year-old. Still, he also knows he must prove himself all over again and do so against stronger, tougher, more-experienced players.
"It's just like a college all-star game," Bamba said after the practice _ the first of two practices the team will have Tuesday. "Everybody on the court either played in the NBA, in the G-League or excelled in college. So the competition is way up as compared to last year.
"They just want me to be aggressive in everything that I do. That's kind of the theme that I got from every single one of the coaches. They want me to be aggressive and they want to throw the ball inside and they want me to score."
Forward Jonathan Isaac, last season's sixth overall pick, has offered Bamba advice ever since Orlando drafted Bamba.
Those tips, Bamba said, have ranged from the importance of being punctual off the court to learning specific on-court X's-and-O's.
And Isaac also has tried to offer some perspective.
If Bamba thought Tuesday morning's practice featured tougher competition and a vast array of details, he hasn't seen anything yet.
"Wait till you see training camp," Isaac warned Bamba.
That, too, will be another signpost.
A signpost that shows Bamba just how different his promising new world now is.
