Talk about a life! Screws in each ankle. Two back surgeries. The first to repair a damaged disc, the second to remove a cyst so close to the spinal cord that there was talk of a possible end to his career. Add to that mononucleosis and finally a left knee operation due to a cartilage problem… Dan Majerle rhymes with “hospital”! “I'm happy to be able to continue playing”exclaims Dan Majerle (pronounced “Marli”) in the mid-90s.
The day after an NBA Finals – Chicago-Phoenix – that many consider to be the greatest in history, our guy is 28 years old. A real tough guy. That's good, because that's exactly the impression given by the Suns' No. 9. A block of concrete: 1.98 m and 105 kg, his ideal weight. Muscles galore and a style of play to match. Valiant, combative, rough, “Thunder Dan” (Dan the Lightning, his nickname) is one of the best sixth men in the League. He has transformed his game: the earth-shattering dunker of the early days has become a real perforator of defenses, a formidable shooter in the perimeter and a real leech in defense. The shooting guard born in Traverse City, Michigan, will be invited to the All-Star Game three times. He was selected to the All-Defensive Second Team in 1991 and 1993. Charles Barkley was pleased at the time to have such a teammate, always with a good frame of mind. “I knew he was a good player but he's even better than that. He's a warrior, a real one. I like that.”
Dane Majerle, a true warrior on the field
Since the arrival of Majerle, 14th pick in the 1988 Draft, Phoenix has regularly made the playoffs. The impact of “Dan the Tan” is just as decisive as the Barkley effect. “With all due respect to Charles, I'd rather see Dan Majerle sitting on the bench than Barkley.”said Larry Brown, who was then coaching the Clippers.
And for good reason: Majerle is synonymous with headaches for opposing coaches. In addition to the aforementioned qualities, he adds a remarkable 3-point shooting ability. The Palace of Auburn Hills used to ring “Big Ben” when Ben Wallace succeeded in a block. In Phoenix, it was a thunderclap that tore through the room with each three-point shot. On June 13, 1993, in Game 3 of the Finals that went into triple overtime (a 129-121 victory for the Suns in Chicago), Majerle equaled the record for 3-point shots made in a Finals game, co-held by Michael Jordan for a year (6 against Portland on June 3, 1992).
Only Michael Cooper, in 1987 against Boston, and Bill Laimbeer, in 1990 against Portland, had achieved such a performance before them. Kenny Smith (in 1995 against Orlando) and Scottie Pippen (in 1997 against Utah) would bring this record to 7 successful three-pointers. Then Ray Allen (8) and Stephen Curry (9) would erase their glorious elders from the records. “If you double up on Charles Barkley, Dan Majerle or Danny Ainge will slaughter you from distance.”laments Rick Adelman, who works in Portland.
Yet “Dan the Man” denies becoming a specialist in prize-winning shooting and tight defense. “I prefer to penetrate and make contact, but since I'm left unmarked, far from the circle, these are shots that I have to take.”
Everything was going well for the miracle worker, and not just on the court. Success begets success. Majerle was not only a great basketball player, everything he touched turned to gold. After modeling for a few designers, he launched his own label, called “Thundernine”. T-shirts, jackets, and boxer shorts – real tough guys don't wear briefs – sold like hotcakes. He also opened a bar-restaurant, Majerle's Sports Grill, 200 meters from the America West Arena, which immediately became the trendy place in the region. It was not uncommon to see him serving beers and cocktails behind the counter, to the great delight of the… female clientele. At the time, Dan was one of the most sought-after bachelors in the United States. Tall, handsome, strong (that counts), rich and not stupid (that counts too). No wonder the ladies were queuing up to get in. “I sometimes feel like I'm living a dream. Everything happened very quickly but I don't forget where I come from.”says Dan the Blessed.
Born on September 9, 1965 and raised in Traverse City, a small town in Michigan, Dan is the second of three sons. Dad is a barber, Mom is a municipal librarian. Work and respect are some of the family values. The three brothers add competition. “We played all kinds of sports and had incredible fights.”Dan remembers.
In Seoul with the United States by David Robinson
At 15, “Lightning” focused on basketball at Traverse City Highschool. For his senior year, his stats were impressive: 37.5 points and 16 rebounds. But since the school championship in which his team played was rather confidential, university recruiters forgot about him. He ended up at Central Michigan University. His exploits led the Chippewas (Indian tribe) to the NCAA final tournament. As a senior, his stats (23.7 pts and 10.5 rbds) earned him the attention of Olympic selectors. Drafted by Phoenix in 1988 (14th, therefore), Majerle immediately participated in the Seoul Olympic Games with university stars David Robinson, Danny Manning, Sean Elliott and Hersey Hawkins. Bronze medal, in other words a near-failure for an American selection. “It's not a very good memory but it's a little thanks to us that the decision-makers of American basketball decided to send the Dream Team to Barcelona”jokes Dan, who would go on to win the 1994 World Championship in Canada with Dream Team II.
In November 1988, the NBA adventure began. Phoenix had obtained the rights to the 14th pick and Kevin Johnson in a trade with Cleveland (for Larry Nance). During the draft, Majerle's name was roundly booed by Suns fans. The coach, Cotton Fitzsimmons (who passed away in 2004), announced that Phoenix fans would soon miss him. “I knew what I was doing. Dan is a workhorse. I went to these people and said, “One day you'll regret booing Majerle”… »
First quiet year. Twenty-five minutes per game and 8 points on average. Little by little, Dan earned the respect of his peers with his impeccable attitude and his defensive qualities. He progressed in a linear fashion to reach the consecration: the 1992 All-Star Game in Orlando. Proof of his popularity, Majerle was elected starter by the public even though he was not even a starter in his own team! Only Kobe Bryant would present the same singularity during the 1997-98 season. “I could hardly believe it. Being among the best players in the world is something I had never really aspired to.”
No more than an NBA title. The arrival of Charles Barkley at the Suns in 1992 would change everything. “I always thought Phoenix had a good team but not enough to go all the way, he explained at the time. Charles changes the data. He's stronger than I thought, he's nicer than the image he gives off, and he wants to win, just as much as I do. The only problem is… his golf skills. He's a lot worse than he thinks!
Symbol of a Phoenix team that never won a title
Every day off, the two buddies go to the greens with Danny Ainge. As usual, Dan and Danny crush Charly. Then Dan goes to take care of his two black labradors before committing to his daily hour of weight training. Then, Majerle treats himself to a little movie – his passion – and goes to the restaurant to check that everything is okay. Offcourt, life was good. On the courts, there was much less fun.
Phoenix did not take advantage of Michael Jordan's first save. In 1994, Houston won its Conference semi-final in 7 games. Exit Cedric Ceballos, Oliver Miller and Frank Johnson. Danny Manning and Wesley Person completed a squad still built around Charles Barkley, Dan Majerle, AC Green and Kevin Johnson. Same punishment in the Conference semi-finals: 7 games against the Rockets and an elimination at the end of the race. Majerle spent a year in Cleveland before heading to Miami where he would play for five years. In the playoffs, the Heat was eliminated three times by New York… Best result: a Conference final against Chicago in 1997 (4-1).
Certainly a waste for a franchise that could boast at one time of aligning Tim Hardaway, Jamal Mashburn, Alonzo Mourning and others Voshon Lenard. In 2001, Majerle returned to Phoenix. A one-year farewell tour in a franchise that was sinking following the Jason Kidd-Stephon Marbury trade. He retired on April 17, 2002. Twenty years later, “Dan the Man” has not left the world of basketball since he was coach of the small university of Grand Canyon in the WAC. He remained there for seven seasons before being cut in 2020.
Dan Majerle's track record
1994 World Champion
Bronze medalist at the 1998 Seoul Olympics
Three-time All-Star (1992, 1993, 1995)
Two selections to the Second All-NBA Defensive Team (1991, 1993)
| Dan Majerle | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 1988-89 | PHX | 54 | 25 | 41.9 | 32.9 | 61.4 | 1.2 | 2.7 | 3.9 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 8.7 |
| 1989-90 | PHX | 73 | 31 | 42.4 | 23.8 | 76.2 | 2.0 | 3.9 | 5.9 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 11.1 |
| 1990-91 | PHX | 77 | 30 | 48.4 | 34.9 | 76.2 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 5.4 | 2.8 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 13.7 |
| 1991-92 | PHX | 82 | 35 | 47.8 | 38.2 | 75.6 | 1.8 | 4.1 | 5.9 | 3.3 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 17.3 |
| 1992-93 | PHX | 82 | 39 | 46.4 | 38.1 | 77.8 | 1.5 | 3.2 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 16.9 |
| 1993-94 | PHX | 80 | 40 | 41.8 | 38.2 | 73.9 | 1.5 | 2.9 | 4.4 | 3.4 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 16.5 |
| 1994-95 | PHX | 82 | 38 | 42.5 | 36.3 | 73.0 | 1.3 | 3.3 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 15.6 |
| 1995-96 | KEY | 82 | 29 | 40.5 | 35.3 | 71.0 | 0.9 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 10.6 |
| 1996-97 | MIA | 36 | 35 | 40.6 | 33.8 | 67.8 | 1.3 | 3.3 | 4.5 | 3.2 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 10.8 |
| 1997-98 | MIA | 72 | 27 | 41.9 | 37.6 | 78.4 | 0.7 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 7.2 |
| 1998-99 | MIA | 48 | 34 | 39.6 | 33.5 | 71.7 | 0.4 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 3.1 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 7.0 |
| 1999-00 | MIA | 69 | 33 | 40.3 | 36.2 | 81.2 | 0.4 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 7.3 |
| 2000-01 | MIA | 53 | 25 | 33.6 | 31.5 | 81.8 | 0.4 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 5.0 |
| 2001-02 | PHX | 65 | 18 | 34.3 | 33.6 | 59.0 | 0.4 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 4.6 |
| Total | 955 | 32 | 43.1 | 35.8 | 74.1 | 1.2 | 3.3 | 4.5 | 2.9 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 11.4 | |
How to read the stats? GM = Games Played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots Made / Shots Attempted; 3pts = 3-pointers / 3-pointers Attempted; LF = Free Throws Made / Free Throws Attempted; Off = Offensive Rebound; Def = Defensive Rebound; Tot = Total Rebounds; Pd = Assists; Fte: Personal Fouls; Int = Steals; Bp = Loose Balls; Ct: Blocks; Pts = Points.
