Majerle returns to Mount Pleasant
CMU basketball legend Dan Majerle returns to Mount Pleasant as opposing head coach
Tianyu Han | Courtesy Photo
CMU alumnus and NBA All-Star Dan Majerle, will return to McGuirk Arena for the Western game at 7 p.m. Jan. 28. His son, Max Marjele, is a freshman on the men's squad.
After winning its fifth-straight game at McGuirk Arena, the Central Michigan University men’s basketball team is getting comfortable at home.
The Chippewas have not started a season with as many home games since 1916.
For likely the first time ever, Chippewa legend and Grand Canyon University Head Coach Dan Majerle was rooting against the maroon and gold in their game Saturday.
Majerle led the Chippewas to a 22-8 record in 1986-87. The Chippewas advanced to the NCAA Tournament that year.
In 1988, Majerle was the first Chippewa to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft, going 14th overall to the Phoenix Suns.
“Those people that follow basketball know about his great career,” said CMU Head Coach Keno Davis. “It’s really an unbelievable story when you think about it. Being able to improve the way he did, to not just be a great college player, not just to be in the NBA, but be one of the better NBA players that he became.”
Majerle played for 14 seasons in the NBA, was a two-time All-Star and a member of the 1988 USA Olympic team. He led USA in scoring and earned a bronze medal in Seoul with the team.
Majerle’s name and retired No. 44 jersey hang in the rafters at McGuirk Arena.
“You always have a sense of pride of where you went to school,” Majerle said. “I watch football and basketball games, and you’re always trying to brag about what your alumni and what your school’s doing. Central’s the place that kind of started my path on to the NBA.”
In high school, injuries threatened to derail Majerle’s basketball career, but CMU never gave up on him.
“They recruited me. They waited on me,” Majerle said. “I got to play there and be very successful. That’s always going to be a piece of my heart.”
Even in the NBA, Majerle was the underdog. When his name was announced at the NBA Draft, Suns fans booed.
The Traverse City native led the Suns to the 1993 NBA Finals before being topped by Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in six games.
None of the current Chippewas on the basketball team were alive during Majerle’s time at CMU, but many say they are aware of his legacy.
“He’s got his number retired here and played on the US National Team,” said senior guard Austin Keel.
In Majerle’s first season as a coach, he led Grand Canyon to a 15-15 record (10-6 in the Western Athletic Conference) in the team’s first season with Division I status.
Davis and Majerle met in Phoenix playing golf and thought the matchup would be beneficial for both sides. The Chippewas will play at Grand Canyon next year, where Majerle said many CMU alumni reside.
“We’re not playing very well right now, and I’m concerned about our team,” Majerle said. “I’m going to try to soak up as much as I can and enjoy it.”
