Malcolm Mackey remains Georgia Tech’s leading rebounder, forever an integral part of the Yellow Jackets’ 1990 Final Four team and the only Tech player to start for two ACC champion teams. At halftime of the first ACC tournament semifinal Saturday, he’ll be honored as one of 12 ACC tournament legends, along with notables such as former Duke forward Kenny Dennard, former North Carolina guard Kenny Smith and former Wake Forest guard Randolph Childress.
Mackey, 41, lives in Henry County and is married to his college sweetheart, Jennifer. They have two children, Jasmine and Malik. He is an Internet sales manager for a local car dealership.
Q: Congratulations on being named an ACC tournament legend.
A: It's a great honor. It also means you're old, too. ... I never came in here wanting individual awards. I just wanted to compete and do the best I could. For people to appreciate it so many years later — I've got a daughter there, a junior at Georgia Tech — means so much to me. To be remembered, I thank God that I did something in my life to be remembered.
Q: How involved have you been with the basketball team?
A: I've always been involved at Tech, gone by the basketball camps, practices, one-on-one meetings with the head coach, going to games. I go as much as my schedule allows me.
Q: What’s your impression of the team right now?
A: The impression is just work in progress. This is coach [Brian] Gregory's first year. ... It's just a rebuilding year, a year where we lost some good players last year and the year before was the one-and-done [Derrick Favors]. So now we're just trying to build right now and trying to get ourselves re-established with blue chip-type players. That's what Tech is going to need if we're going to win.
Q: Have you spoken recently with Bobby Cremins [who took an indefinite leave of absence from College of Charleston in January]?
A: I spoke with him. ... He told me he was extremely tired. I know Bobby; he gets emotionally attached to whatever he's doing. At his age, you've got to be careful with your emotion and stress level and your blood pressure.
Q: Do you think he’ll retire?
A: I could be wrong, but I think personally he's probably leaning towards retirement, but he did not tell me that.
Q: How do you look back at your time at Tech?
A: All I have is positive things to say about Georgia Tech. If there's anything I can do to help Georgia Tech be successful, that's what I'm here for because they provided a great education for me, and the four years I spent at Georgia Tech were four of the best years of my life.
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