“Thunder” Dan Majerle often sits alone, mostly unbothered, on the upper-concourse area at Pima’s West Aztec Gym to watch his son Max rain 3’s and score in transition with Pima College.
Max Majerle and his backcourt mate Cohenj Gonzales comprise one of the best starting backcourts in the JUCO ranks in the nation, evidenced by the Aztecs — off to a school-record 16-0 start — leading the nation in scoring at 101.4 points a game.
The elder Majerle often drives to Tucson from his Phoenix-area home to watch his son play while being entertained by Pima coach Brian Peabody’s transition-style offense, which fits the fluid skills of his son to the maximum.
“I always like coming here; I’ve always been impressed with the program Brian Peabody has run,” said Dan Majerle, a 16-year NBA vet who was a three-time All-Star before coaching with the Phoenix Suns and Grand Canyon University from 2008 to 2020.
.@PimaMens_bball guard @maxmajerle had 24 points while making 5 of 9 shots from 3-point range and also had six assists with his dad, NBA great Dan Majerle, in attendance during the Aztecs’ 92-75 win over Salt Lake Community College today. pic.twitter.com/D4uHB3smSq
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) December 31, 2024
The elder Majerle’s background with Peabody extends to when he coached Grand Canyon from 2013-20. He signed former Aztec standout Rashad Smith in 2019 during his last season as Grand Canyon’s coach.
Dan Majerle also watched Max play the last couple of years at his alma mater Central Michigan, where his No. 44 jersey is retired. Max, who graduated from Phoenix Arcadia High School, went to Central Michigan to follow his father’s legacy there. After not having the opportunity to develop with the Chippewas because of limited chances and injuries, Max desired a change. He redshirted last season for medical reasons.
The departure from Central Michigan led to Dan Majerle talking to Peabody about his son.
Max is averaging 16.9 points per game for Peabody while shooting a phenomenal 54.5 percent from the field as a 6-foot-4 guard. That’s largely because of the way he can attack the basket with his athleticism for high-percentage shots. He is also shooting 42.3 percent from 3-point range and is averaging 4.1 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game.
I had the opportunity to interview Dan Majerle about his son before Pima’s recent rout of nationally-ranked NJCAA Division I power Salt Lake Community College in the Aztec Holiday Classic,
What do you think of your son’s development now that he is playing in Peabody’s system?
Dan Majerle: “I think it’s perfect for Max because he needed a place after redshirting last year, and he’s had some injuries. So for him to be able to go someplace and get some valuable time on the court, that was the most important thing for Max. He needed to get out there and play and be able to make mistakes on the floor and grow as a player. After watching Coach (Peabody) for a long time, watching this offense and how they play, I knew this would be a good spot for Max. I brought Max down here, and they had a conversation. They talked, and it just seemed to fit. I’m very happy that he was able to come here and play for a really good coach. (Peabody’s) been in his system for a long time. He runs great offensive stuff. He’s good defensively. So I think Max has been able to learn a lot this year.”
What are you most pleased about from what you have seen from Max this season?
DM: “His shot’s gotten better. Like I said, for me, it’s just been about getting playing some playing time. He went through some injuries. After that redshirt year at Central, he just needed to get out and play. So he’s able to go out there and kind of develop his game. Playing in a high-fueled system where they get out and run, he’s getting shots and they run good plays for him. I think it’s just a great learning experience where he can get this going and just kind of learn again the areas he has to get better, as far as scoring in the paint and things like that. I’m just proud of him. He keeps working. I think he’s just a really hard-working, good kid. I just want him to have success and be happy. That’s my biggest thing.”
What was the decision like for Max to leave Central Michigan considering your storied background there?
DM: “I never pushed Max to go to Central. They recruited him. They didn’t even talk to me about it. It was kind of a mutual thing between them. He said he wanted to go and I told him that was great. I was happy that he went. But to be honest, it was nothing that I pushed him to do. He just didn’t, for whatever reason, click there and he felt like he had to go someplace else. I said, ‘That’s your decision.’ This is where he ended up and I couldn’t be happier.”
What are your thoughts about being able to see Max play in Tucson often and also in the Phoenix area when Pima plays up there during the ACCAC season?
DM: “It’s great. I’ve seen pretty much all his games here. It’s a short drive. I’m able to drive down here, which is fine. The other conference games are in the Phoenix area closer to me. When I’m not here, or I’m not able to come to a game, they stream them on YouTube. I’ll be able to watch those, too. Same thing when he was at Central. I got to watch every game there on ESPN or ESPN-Plus. I try to get to as many games as I can.”
What’s it like to have three older daughters and Max as the youngest of your children?
DM: “The two older ones (Madison and McKenzie) were tennis players. Max is the youngest out of our kids. He has three sisters (Mia is the other one). So I’m just trying to get him out of being so soft, growing up around all those women. (Smiles). But yeah, I’m proud of him, man. He went through a lot of controversy, and had some things happen with his knee and some different things. He’s worked hard. Just like I said, I just wanted him to be happy and enjoy his time playing basketball, because he loves to play the game.”
What are you up to now that you’re out of coaching?
DM: “I golf six days a week. That’s my life and I love it. I’m retired and just enjoying all the hard work that I’ve put in. Just love playing golf and hanging out, getting to watch my kids and see Max play.”
What about the possibility of returning to coaching or being a consultant for a basketball team (he is only 59)?
DM: “No, I couldn’t coach in the environment there is today (with the transfer portal and NIL). It’s just too crazy. I’ve had my time. I’ve coached in the pros. I’ve coached in college. Like I said, I’m enjoying what I’m doing now, so I have no desire to get back into it. My competition comes on the golf course and I’m going to be happy.”
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He is a former Arizona Daily Star beat reporter for the Arizona basketball team, including when the Wildcats won the 1996-97 NCAA title. He has also written articles for CollegeAD.com, Bleacher Report, Lindy’s Sports, TucsonCitizen.com, The Arizona Republic, Sporting News and Baseball America, among many other publications. He has also authored the book “The Highest Form of Living”, which is available at Amazon. He became an educator in 2016 and is presently a special education teacher at Sunnyside High School in the Sunnyside Unified School District.
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