During the fourth quarter of Game 4 between the Magic and Pistons in the first round of the NBA playoffs last season, Jamal Cain dribbled across midcourt, moved past Detroit star Cade Cunningham and turned the corner toward the basket.
In a matter of moments, the 6-foot-7 forward drove downhill, elevated toward the basket and slammed down a one-handed dunk over Pistons center Jalen Duren.
The play went viral and was heralded as one of the best dunks of the season, even though Detroit won the series and ended Orlando‘s season in the first round for the third year in a row.
While Cain appreciates the internet fame from the highlight, he believes there’s more to his game than just that one play as he enters a critical season in his pro career — and he wants the league to know it, too.
“That I’ve been working (and) that I’ve always been an NBA-caliber player,” Cain said during the team’s media day Monday. “And this is the year to prove it.”
Long before his viral dunk, Cain was a newcomer to the Magic. A year ago, he entered the season on a two-way contract with Orlando. It was his fourth consecutive year on a two-way contract and his third in a row with a different franchise.
Previously with the New Orleans Pelicans and Miami Heat, Cain was trying to carve out a role and stick with one team. He did that in his first season with Orlando by appearing in a career-high 40 NBA games. Plus, he earned a standard contract that includes a second-year club option for the 2026-27 season.
With his best pro season behind him and his team option picked up by the Magic, Cain only wanted to work more.
“I didn’t do a lot of vacationing,” he said about his summer. “I just stayed in the gym because I felt like my role and my expectations would be bigger than (they were) last year. I just tried to be around my teammates as much as possible. I’m excited for this year.”
He’s far from the only player on the roster excited to see what the Magic can accomplish under new head coach Sean Sweeney.
Cain understands this season carries more importance. It’s part of the reason why he spent as much time in the gym as he did over the summer.
He’s aiming to translate that offseason work into consistent results and build off his strong finish last season. Across the final 17 games, he averaged 9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists during 19.6 minutes per night.
Jamal Cain brought the house down when he dunked over Detroit center Jalen Duren during Game 4 of the first round of the NBA playoffs last season at Kia Center. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
“This year is definitely different than the other four prior years,” Cain said. “Just because I feel like I didn’t have a real expectation on my play. Of course, teams wanted me to come in better, but I feel like this is the first year where they were looking at me to actually come back and produce in some type of way.”
“So, I just didn’t want to take that for granted,” he added. “I wanted to make sure I was prepared, wanted to make sure I was ready to be able to help my team, help the coaches, and just help in any way possible.”
Cain believes he can help the Magic by becoming a more reliable shooter, even after shooting a career-high 38.4% from 3-point range. He understands his role is to be the type of player that provides an energy boost off the bench.
He’s also a big believer in Orlando’s decision to bring back the majority of the roster from a year ago, including himself. He doesn’t want to let his teammates down because of it.
“With being a part of three different organizations, I realize how much having the same guys around you matter,” Cain said. “It gives you an edge when it comes to playoff basketball and those hard moments. … I feel like that’s a huge advantage for us.”
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com