Honestly, there are some chances you don’t pass up, and Jamal could always win another state title if he wanted to.
Sure, he did selfishly tank his team’s chances at a state title by deliberately missing free throws, but his loyalty to William Forrester allowed for him to dunk on his shitty professor, who accused him of plagiarism throughout the school year.
What sends him over the top, however, is his loyalty and ability to be a team player.
Jamal Wallace from Finding Forrester was talented enough to get recruited by one of Manhattan’s top private schools, so I think his basketball skill speaks for itself.