Subscribe

Exclusive Interview With Jamario Moon

By Ryan McNeill • on October 3, 2008

Bouncing around the minor leagues for six seasons requires a lot of faith. Many people would have given up on chasing their dream, but Jamario Moon showed determination and was rewarded with making the Toronto Raptors opening night roster last October.

After the Raptors coaching staff and front office showed faith in him last October, Moon rewarded them with a highly successful rookie season which saw him participate in the NBA Dunk Contest and start 75 games while averaging 8.5 points and 6.2 rebounds.

Even though he finds him firmly established as an NBA player, Moon continues to lean heavily on his faith. He talked with Ryan McNeill during the Toronto Raptors media day about his summer, how important his faith is to how he lives life, his thoughts on the addition of Jermaine O’Neal and what his goals are for the upcoming season.

Ryan McNeill: Alright Jamario, my first question for you is how was your summer?
Jamario Moon: Man, it was great! It was hot, I went home to eat some good food and grandma cooked a lot of good meals for me so it was great.

McNeill: Did you have a chance to go on any trips with your wife or family?
Moon: No… well, actually I went on a trip to this beach resort down in Destin, Florida, for my anniversary, but that was about the only time I had to get away.

McNeill: Training wise, what did you do this summer to improve your game?
Moon: I just worked out. I did the same as before. Like I told the people last year, I’ve never really had a summer off so I’m used to working throughout the whole summer. I just kept working on every part of my game because I don’t like to focus on one or two things, I like to work on a bit of everything. That way I keep everything balanced out.

McNeill: You’re GM had a big summer by adding a six-time all-star in Jermaine O’Neal. Talk about how the addition of O’Neal helps you and the rest of the team.
Moon: Man… we’ve got Chris Bosh and Jermaine O’Neal on the blocks. Who do you double team? Then we’ve got Anthony Parker and Jason Kapono, two of the best three-point shooters in the NBA (to keep opposing defenses honest). That speaks for itself. We’re going to put Chris and Jermaine on those blocks and let people do whatever kind of defensive scheme they want to do. When they mess up, we’ll burn them. They’re used to double and triple teaming Chris, but now we have two on the block that can score the ball. So what are they going to do now? Are they going to leave Jason and Anthony wide open? Or, are they going to stay on Jason and Anthony and let Chris and Jermaine go one-on-one? It’s going to be hard to guard us this year.

McNeill: How do you plan to take advantage of this? How do you maximize your court time with those four guys grabbing the attention of opposing defenses?
Moon: Last year I didn’t really get an opportunity to show my offensive game but now that we have Jermaine and people are going to be looking to double team him and Chris, I’ve got to knock down those open shots when they pass the ball back out to me. That’s what I’ve been working on, those mid-range shots. I’ve been working on my three-pointer. Whenever they kick it out to me I’m going to knock it down.

McNeill: Last October when we talked you were relishing the whole under dog factor, now you’re obviously a big part of this team and a starter. Does your mind set change? Is there more pressure on you?
Moon: No. I mean, I didn’t really feel I had pressure on me last year. People doubted me forever, even in the minor leagues. In the minors they told me I would never make the NBA and I even got cut from a couple minor league teams. I just come in, work hard everyday and continue to do what I do - stay on the glass, play defense. Everything else speaks for itself. Number one, I just keep God first. I’m behind Him, so as long as I’ve got him leading me then I don’t worry about where am I going to go. I can only go up.

McNeill: Talk about that some more. How does your faith help you stay grounded?
Moon: I think a lot of times people try to do things by themselves. We forget we have to put everything in God’s hands. We should follow him, he’s our leader. That’s what I try to do. I don’t worry about anything, you can ask anyone on this team. I’m always smiling, never down. I just put whatever it is in God’s hands and I just follow His lead. That makes my job easy.

McNeill: What are some of your personal or team goals for this season?
Moon: I just want to come out and continue to do what I did last season. I just want to do it better. People say I played well last year, this year I want to play even better.

McNeill: Thank you for your time and good luck this year.
Moon: No problem.

Click here to listen to the audio version of this interview with Jamario Moon.

Photo Credit: Icon Sports Media

This article was written by:

Ryan McNeill - who has written 208 posts on Hoops Addict.

Ryan McNeill is the editor for Hoops Addict and has appeared on NBA XL and WSRQ 1220. Ryan has covered the NBA with media credentials since the 2007 season.

Contact the author

Related Entries

No related posts

Comments

By Trevor Smith on October 3rd, 2008 at 9:03 am

Great interview Ryan. It was interesting to hear how Jamario sees himself fitting in with the team’s new rotation. Hopefully Moon can bring the same energy and bounce as last season. He will have hit more of those mid-range jumpers he spoke of, because the looks will definitely be there for him and all the other Raptors wings. The difference between being 3rd or 6th in the East may very well be the swing guys’ ability to hit open shots at key times when teams double Bosh and J.O.