Former Sacramento State basketball player Jameel Pugh was recently in Los Angeles.

He wasn’t there for a basketball game or a dunk contest, he was there to shoot a pilot for a new show that HBO is considering picking up.

Pugh is playing none other than himself in the pilot, which has yet to be named. The former Hornet swingman is an up-and-coming rookie star on the San Diego Manta Rays.

The fictional Manta Rays are a new expansion team in the NBA.

“It’s a completely unscripted show and I was able to act myself,” said Pugh, who doesn’t mind stepping onto the court and in front of the cameras one more time.

“Being in front of the camera wasn’t intimidating.”

The last time Pugh was seen on camera was last year’s ESPN dunk contest, which Pugh took second place in.

The president of the Maloof’s production company saw the high-flying Hornet in the contest and considered him for the role.

George Clooney’s production company, Section Eight, teamed up with the Maloof’s to get the show off the ground.

Now Pugh is playing out the NBA dream life through his character, alongside co-stars Don Nelson, former head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, and former Sacramento King and Los Angeles Laker Vlade Divac.

“In this show you really get to see what happens behind the scenes,” Pugh said. “It’s the first time NBA has allowed this much access to a show. The concept is to look real natural.”

As a Hornet Pugh scored 15 points per game during his senior year in 2005, along with 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals. He was named Big Sky Player of the Week twice in 2005 and made the All Big Sky first team in the same year. Pugh transferred to Sacramento State before the 2004 season from University of Massachusetts.

Brad Alexander can be reached at [email protected]