The 2011-12 Denver Nuggets benefited from some excellent play down low as C JaVale McGee -- acquired in the trade that sent F-C Nene to the Washington Wizards -- played the final 20 games of the season in sparkling fashion, averaging 18 points and 10.1 rebounds per 36 minutes.
On Wednesday, the club signed him to a four-year extension, an event that brought his mother to tears and that he himself described as "humbling":
"My mother’s always more excited than I am," JaVale McGee said Thursday. "When I was signing, she started to cry. I didn’t know if I was supposed to cry or not. I had those feelings in me but I’m not a big crier. It was a humbling moment."
And when asked about his role with the Nuggets, McGee suggested the team was keeping things simple:
"The coaching staff put me in situations where I could succeed," McGee said. "There weren’t any plays run for me, but the coaches would say, ‘Rebound and run. No one will be able to keep up with you.’ "
But his 2011-12 success will not stop McGee from continuing to work on his game. He plans to study under long-time NBA center and instructor Hakeem Olajuwon in the 2012 offseason.
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