Getting to Know You: Keyon Dooling

By Chris Navalta

Part of the reason for the Magic's success this year is team chemistry. And it's important to get to know some of Adonal's teammates and how what their part is in helping Orlando succeed. Here is a closer look at seven-year veteran Keyon Dooling:

Everyone knows the key to a successful NBA team is a standout player and some key figures in the starting lineup.

But the team can't work like a well-oiled machine without depth coming from the bench. Backup guard Keyon Dooling provides everything a team needs to succeed. He can be a starter for any team in the league or come off the bench to provide a spark in the form of points or assists.

A first-round draft choice out of Missouri in 2000 (and then traded to the L.A. Clippers), Dooling is a seven-year veteran who's played for the Clippers and Miami Heat before finding his way back to Orlando via free agency.

He's played alongside teammates such as Shaquille O'Neal, Dwyane Wade, Elton Brand, Corey Maggette and Grant Hill. But when his career started in Los Angeles, Dooling had to endure the growing pains of being on a young an inexperienced team.

"We were all young," Dooling said, recalling his first year with the Clippers. "We were all under 22. I got a lot of help by the time I got to Miami. Unfortunately, it was my fifth season. But that's when I started to learn the ropes a lot. Being around Eddie Jones and Shaquille O'Neal, those guys were ultimate pros. Eddie really took my under his wing and showed me a lot of different things. So, I always try to do the same thing for the younger players."

In a league where players are getting younger and have an indestructible mindset, Dooling was fortunate to realize early on that he had to think further ahead of not just his basketball career - but his life in general.

"Reality hit me in my second year, when I broke my ankle," Dooling said. "You're a young player and you see the beginning of your career. And when you break something, you realize that your career can end today or tomorrow. That's when reality sunk in and I started thinking more about the future than just now."

Dooling's career hit full circle in the 2004-05 season, when he was with the Miami Heat and made the playoffs for the first time in his career. At the time, Stan Van Gundy was coach of the Heat. The following season, Dooling signed with the Magic as a free agent and averaged a career-high 9.4 points in 50 games. In 2006-07, he helped bring the Magic back to the postseason. This season, Dooling saw a familiar face take over as head coach. Van Gundy was hired on June 7, 2007 to replace Brian Hill. And Dooling knew exactly what his new coach was going to expect from his team.

"There was a little bit of an adjustment period," Dooling said. "I had to get used to his style of practice again. Because his practices are very unique. But I was also excited because I knew he was someone who was going to help our team improve. He would challenge Dwight (Howard) and help him become a better player. So, I was definitely excited to get Stan back."

The Magic head into the All-Star break leading the Southeast Division. But despite their fast start to the season, Orlando continues to fly under the radar in the Eastern Conference. And that's just fine with Dooling and his teammates.

"It feels good," he said. "We're just flying under the radar, playing our brand of basketball. We're not getting too high on wins and we're not getting too low on losses. We're playing on a nice even keel right now. We're approaching practices the right way and we're approaching the game the right way. And we're not taking any wins and losses for granted. We're learning from each experience."

When he's not on the court, Dooling is also very active in the community. He participates in the NBA's "Read to Achieve" program and buys and distributes toys to underprivileged children during the holidays. He donates tickets to community organizations and takes part in his teammates' charity functions as well.

Dooling is also very active with the NBA Players Association. He attends union meetings regularly at the end of the season and is surprised more players aren't taking part of the meetings - unless it involves a more serious matter.

"This is our brand. And obviously, you want to have a voice," Dooling said. "You shouldn't complain about what goes on - especially if you're not voicing your opinion. "It's crazy to me. It's baffling to me. Why wait until the 25th hour, when you have differences in opinion, when you can work way before that comes and try to understand where we're coming from and what we're trying to get accomplished so we can all be on the same page. There's power in numbers. Sometimes, they don't have an idea of the simplest things that's relevant to our business. You kind of look around and you feel bad because you want everyone to have a voice. And it doesn't take that much time and effort to get to the Bahamas, one of the must beautiful places on the planet (also, where the annual meetings are held). But we're getting better. And hopefully, we can take some of the younger guys to the meetings. Hopefully, the next generation of players will help us get stronger as a union."