TALLAHASSEE – The first question for Seminole newcomer Kobe MaGee seems rather obvious.

So is the answer.

Did his parents, Janine and Don MaGee, name him after Kobe Bryant – the fabulously famous Los Angeles Lakers star who is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential players of all time?

Yes.

While the MaGee family has no direct connection to the fourth all-time leading scorer in NBA history, (except maybe both being from the state of Pennsylvania), the first commitment of the Luke Loucks era is named after the basketball icon.

“When I was born in 2003, Kobe Bryant was really popular,” said MaGee. “My parents heard his name a ton and liked it so they named me Kobe.”

MaGee arrives at Florida State following an outstanding three-year career at Drexel University in Philadelphia during which he played in 88 career games, scored 714 career points and shot nearly 40 percent from the 3-point line. He led Drexel in scoring with a career-high 14.0 points per game scoring average while shooting .439 from outside the arc as a junior during the 2024-25 season. MaGee made 105 3-point shots in his last two seasons at Drexel.

Following his three very productive seasons at Drexel, MaGee entered the transfer portal on March 12 and committed to Loucks and the Seminoles on March 29 following his visit to the Florida State campus. He chose Florida State over Wake Forest and after receiving interest from Maryland, Syracuse, Kansas, Texas, Xavier, Seton Hall, and Clemson during the spring recruiting process.

“The deciding factor for me in choosing to finish my career at Florida State was that I was looking for a school and a coaching staff where I could continue to grow my game,” said MaGee who will earn his bachelor’s degree in social science from Florida State in May of 2026. “Coach Loucks and his staff have been so successful as teachers, developers of talent, and mentors in the NBA which is where I want to be. This staff has already taught me how to be a better person and certainly a better basketball player since I arrived in May.”

MaGee, who first picked up a basketball when he was five-years-old, has quickly found that while being at Florida State has already helped him further his game, becoming a Seminole has given him much more than he expected when he committed to Florida State’s first-year head coach.

While he spends much of his time at the FSU Basketball Training Center, MaGee is certainly taking advantage of everything Florida State’s world-class Student-Athlete Academic Services has to offer.

“The amount of resources Florida State has to offer is a complete eye-opener,” said MaGee. “In my opinion, being a student-athlete at Florida State is incredibly fulfilling for students as well as student-athletes. I am proud to say that I attended Drexel University. My experiences at Drexel made me a better person and prepared me well to play and finish my education at Florida State.”

While at Drexel he was named to the CAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll during the fall of 2023 and the  spring of 2024.

Academic success is a priority for me because the structure academics has given me serves as a backbone for how I live my life.  A strong academic core builds solid daily routines, allows me to practice good habits and shows that I am a reliable person.

“Our family values the things that can bring long-term success.”

as the first player he signed to play for his first team as a head coach, Loucks certainly values MaGee and everything he brings to the Seminoles.

“What we first saw in Kobe was his incredible desire to be successful in all facets of his life,” said Loucks, who led Florida State to its first ACC Championship in school history in 2012. “His progress as a player, and his success academically, made it evident to our staff that he was the kind of individual we wanted in our program from day one. Kobe is poised to lead on the court, in the locker room, and in the classroom.”

“His personal vision – and the vision he inspires in his teammates – is exactly what we hope to cultivate as we continue building this program.”

It was during his junior season at Drexel that he realized that he could thrive in the ACC. He was a full-time starter for the first time in his career, was the Dragons’ leading scorer, and led the team in minutes played (and in just about every statistical category).

The cumulative effect of his junior season led him to Florida State.

“It was how I played this past year,” said MaGee. “There was no specific game and no specific moment that led me to my decision.”

MaGee, a one-time wide receiver and running back as a middle school football player, has so much to look forward to as a Seminole.

On November 4 he’ll be introduced to Florida State’s legion of incredibly loyal fans when the Seminoles play their home opener at the Donald L. Tucker Center. He’ll get to experience sold out crowds, playing the best competition in the nation throughout the ACC schedule, and continuing to grow as a Seminole.

One of the things MaGee is most excited about is playing on television, so his friends can see him play on the biggest stages in college basketball.

“Basketball means everything to me,” said MaGee. “But it’s the third most important facet of my life behind God and my family. God will overshadow all the important things in my life and will ensure that all things are good.”