Magnum Rolle

Magnum Rolle (born February 23, 1986) is a Bahamian former professional basketball player who last played for the Nakhon Pathom Mad Goat of the Thailand Basketball League. Born in Freeport, Bahamas, Rolle did not play basketball until his freshman year of high school and was taught by his coach at St. George's High School, Darrel Sears. After his senior year at St. George's, Rolle transferred to the Laurinburg Institute in North Carolina, where he was an integral part in leading the team to an undefeated record and the national prep school championship. He was considered a five-star prospect out of Laurinburg, and committed to play at Louisiana State University (LSU).

Rolle came off the bench on a team that reached the Final Four in his freshman campaign. After his sophomore year, he transferred to Louisiana Tech in 2007 and was forced to skip the 2007–08 season as a redshirt. While a junior, Rolle tripled his points-per-game average from 4.0 to 12.2. He was named to the All-WAC (Western Athletic Conference) Defensive Team and All-WAC Newcomer Team. In his senior year, he led the WAC in blocks and finished fourth in career blocked shots at Louisiana Tech despite playing only two seasons.

He was drafted with the 51st overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder and was subsequently traded to the Indiana Pacers. Rolle was waived by the Pacers on October 25, at the end of training camp and was later chosen with the third overall pick in 2010 NBA Development League Draft by the Maine Red Claws.

Early life Rolle was born on February 23, 1986, in Freeport, Bahamas. His mother is Maryse Rolle, a painter, and he has one sibling. He was named after Tom Selleck's TV show Magnum, P.I. He can trace his ancestry to freed slaves and is a distant cousin of National Football League (NFL) players Myron, Antrel, and Samari Rolle.

Originally a soccer player,

High school and prep school career At St. George's High School in Freeport, Rolle quickly developed his basketball skills and also competed in track and field events. He averaged 20.3 points and 13.6 rebounds per game while enrolled at that school.

In 2003, following his senior year at St. George's, Rolle attended the Nike All-America Camp and convinced his mother to let him attend a preparatory school in the United States, where he could showcase his abilities and hone his talents. They eventually settled on the Laurinburg Institute, a small school in North Carolina founded in 1904. Due to an unrepaired leak, the school's gymnasium was condemned in 1997, and the basketball team was forced to play home games as far as away. In Rolle's only year at the institute, his team went 40–0 and won the national prep school championship. Under head coach Chris Chaney, Rolle recorded a per-game average of 10.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.5 blocked shots and had a field goal and free throw percentage of 64 percent and 76 percent, respectively. Rolle reopened his recruitment in July. He decided on LSU, to which fellow Laurinburg teammate Chris Johnson had already committed, and signed his letter of intent on November 18, 2004. Rolle was listed as the eighth-best power forward in the class of 2005 and 32nd overall recruit by Rivals.com.

College career

LSU

Freshman On November 18, 2005, in an 84–56 defeat of Southern University, Rolle made his collegiate debut, playing 14 minutes and scoring six points while also grabbing three rebounds. Rolle shot 4-of-8 from the field and contributed season bests in rebounds (10) and points (8) to help lead LSU past Nicholls State. He equaled his season high in points against the Vanderbilt Commodores on February 2, 2006, in only nine minutes of playing time. During the 2005–06 season, Rolle averaged 2.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 8.7 minutes per game as a freshman, picking up 21 blocks on the year. Rolle's averages improved slightly to 4.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 16.7 minutes per contest, with nine starts and 31 blocks. He had a season-best nine rebounds against Tulane on December 22, and recorded his first double-digit scoring night against the Tennessee Volunteers on March 8, 2007, in the SEC tournament, when he shot 5-for-7 from the field in 18 minutes for 10 points. The Tigers finished the year 17–15 and 5–11 in SEC play.

Rolle left the LSU program on May 23. LSU coach John Brady claimed this was due to concerns over Rolle's development. Darrel Sears, his former high school coach, said Rolle had been unhappy with LSU since December 2006, and that Brady had been making snide comments about Rolle for a while. After Rolle left LSU, he was courted by Division I schools Wyoming, Marshall, Oral Roberts, Delaware, Louisiana Tech, and South Florida. Although initially interested in South Florida due to its proximity to his Bahamas home, Rolle chose to transfer to Louisiana Tech to play under Kerry Rupp.

Louisiana Tech

Junior Rolle was forced to redshirt the 2007–08 season due to transfer rules. In his first game as a Bulldog, on November 15, 2008, he registered nine rebounds and eight points, including four consecutive points within the last minute, to propel Louisiana Tech past Louisiana-Lafayette, 61–59. Rolle's first double-double came against Grambling State on November 18, with 12 points and 14 rebounds. He led the team in scoring with a then-career high of 17 points in a blowout 78–55 loss to #10 UCLA on December 28, while also contributing seven rebounds. On January 29, 2009, Rolle had a perfect night from the field, shooting 11-for-11 with 23 points. He had a season high 25 points to go along with 11 rebounds and four blocked shots in leading the Bulldogs to a victory over Murray State 69–60 on February 21. In the next game, an 80–71 win over New Mexico State, Rolle equalled his season high in points (25) and grabbed 12 rebounds.

During the 2008–09 season, Rolle started 30 games for the Bulldogs and averaged 12.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. He registered five double-doubles while scoring in excess of 10 points on 18 occasions. After the season, Rolle was named to the All-WAC Defensive Team and All-WAC Newcomer Team.

Rolle briefly flirted with the 2009 NBA draft. He declared for early entry in the draft, but did not hire an agent. After talking to NBA spokespeople, who said he was a borderline second-round selection, Rolle considered staying in college an extra year to earn a degree. He eventually pulled his name out of the draft, thus ensuring his college eligibility. and fifth in the coaches poll. Fellow senior Gibson was named to the preseason All-WAC second team, but Rolle was not honored by any preseason award. In the Bulldogs' home opener against Arkansas-Little Rock, Rolle was the leader in scoring with 23 points in crushing the Trojans 86–66. Gibson and Olu Ashaolu also scored more than 20 points to push Louisiana Tech to a 4–1 start, their best since 2001. Rolle's career high in points was 29, scored against Houston in a 99–94 defeat of the Cougars on December 29; Rolle also grabbed 10 boards. In the semifinal of the WAC tournament, against the #1 seeded Utah State Aggies, Rolle injured his ankle less than three minutes into the game, a factor in the Bulldogs' 30-point loss. They finished the regular season 23–10, including a 9–7 record in conference. That was good enough for an invitation to the 2010 CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT), in which Louisiana Tech defeated Southern Miss in the first round despite missing Rolle. In Rolle's final collegiate game, he contributed nine points off the bench despite a 69–40 rout of the Bulldogs by Missouri State in the CIT's quarterfinals.

During the 2009–10 season, Rolle started 33 games, in 24 of which he scored in double figures and in 11 of which he had double-doubles. He rejected more shots than anyone else in the WAC, averaging 2.1 blocks per game, and finished fourth in career blocked shots at Louisiana Tech despite playing there for only two seasons. and 13.9 points per game, 12th in the WAC. His field goal percentage was 51.1, tied with Babbitt for third in conference and behind Tai Wesley of Utah State and Ike Okoye of Boise State. At the conclusion of the season, Rolle was named to the Lefty Driesell All-America Defensive Team, All-WAC Defensive Team, All-WAC Second Team, and All-Louisiana Second Team. ESPN, NBADraft.net, and DraftExpress.com projected him to be a possible mid-to-late second-round selection. He worked out with the Washington Wizards, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, Charlotte Bobcats, and Indiana Pacers. Dave-Te' Thomas of CBS Sports said that Rolle had a good wingspan and was very athletic. He added while larger NBA forwards might push him around, he was an intense player and would not back down if challenged. Thomas compared Rolle to former LSU teammate Tyrus Thomas.

On June 25, Rolle was chosen with the 51st overall pick by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Rolle was the first NBA player drafted out of Louisiana Tech since Paul Millsap was picked by the Utah Jazz with the 47th pick of the 2006 NBA draft.

Rolle played well in the 2010 Orlando Summer League, garnering averages of 28 minutes, 13.4 points, seven rebounds, and two blocked shots per game. On opening day of the summer league, the Pacers beat the Orlando Magic 86–77 behind Rolle's 13 points, five rebounds, two blocks, and a steal. In the second game, an 80–69 loss to the New Jersey Nets, Rolle scored nine points, brought down three rebounds, and rejected three shots. Against the Utah Jazz, Rolle's 10 points, eight rebounds, and four blocks facilitated an 83–74 Pacers win. The fourth game, which The Bahamas Tribune said was the most thrilling of the summer league, featured a 27-point deficit erased by Indiana for a comeback win over the Boston Celtics. Rolle had a double-double, with 19 points and 11 boards. The Pacers and him wrapped up the Orlando Summer League with a 77–73 defeat by the Oklahoma City Thunder, in which Rolle posted 16 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.

Training camp Rolle, along with fellow Pacer rookie Lance Stephenson, was named one of the "steals of the draft" by The Boston Globe. Rolle was invited to the Pacers' training camp, where he injured his head, requiring stitches. In five preseason games, he averaged 1.8 points per game and 1.4 rebounds per game.

However, he was waived on October 25, at the end of training camp, in order to shrink the roster to NBA-mandated 15 players. The Pacers tried to trade Dahntay Jones and Solomon Jones to keep Rolle, but the trade fell through and the Pacers were reluctant to drop Solomon Jones due to a lack of depth in the frontcourt. Had he made the roster, Rolle would have earned $510,000, but instead he made $50,000 in a buyout.

Maine Red Claws In the 2010 NBA Development League Draft, held on November 1, Rolle was chosen with the third overall pick by the Maine Red Claws. The Red Claws were the affiliated team of the Boston Celtics and the Charlotte Bobcats. According to Red Claws general manager Jon Jennings, several D-League teams thought he had the most upside of anyone on the draft.

On November 26, Rolle was waived by the Red Claws because of a knee injury which was due to keep Rolle out 'indefinitely'. In two games with the Red Claws, Rolle averaged 7.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game. His rights were retained by the Red Claws.

On March 3, 2011, he returned to the Red Claws. He played 13 more games with the Red Claws before he was called up to the Atlanta Hawks. Overall, he averaged 14.1 points and 5.5 rebounds in 25.9 minutes per game with the Red Claws.

Atlanta Hawks On April 11, 2011, Rolle signed with the Atlanta Hawks but did not play a game with Atlanta during the 2010–11 season. During the 2011 NBA lockout, he signed with South Korean team Changwon LG Sakers but also did not appear in a game with Changwon.

After the lockout ended, Rolle returned to the Hawks for the training camp. However, he was released before the start of the season.

Orlando Magic In July 2012, Rolle joined the Orlando Magic for the 2012 NBA Summer League.

Japan In August 2012, Rolle signed with the Mitsubishi Diamond Dolphins of the Japanese Basketball League for the 2012–13 season.