SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith and CEO Danny Ainge sat down with KSL Sports’ Jeremiah Jensen to discuss a number of franchise-related issues.
Smith and Ainge broke down the breakout game from Lauri Markkanen, the upcoming All-Star weekend, contract extension talks with Jordan Clarkson, and the possibility of bringing another major sports franchise to Utah.
The interview with Smith and Ainge will air on KSL television in three parts Saturday, Sunday and Monday evenings.
On Markkanen’s Breakout Season
Lauri Markkanen is midway through the break as the Jazz are putting up a career-high 24. Read also : The drop in bookings is another sign of slowing travel growth.5 points on 53 percent shooting from the floor and 42 percent from the three-point line.
After staying with the Jazz in the Donovan Mitchell trade last summer, the forward is putting together a must-win argument to make his first All-Star team.
“We watched Lauri this summer play for his Finnish national team and he was doing all this,” Ainge said. “He was a more dominant player [as a] player than he was in his first NBA career. So as a very good player, we expected them to jump on him in according to the statistics, but I think he exceeded our expectations this year.”
I sat down with Ryan Smith and Danny Ainge to get their thoughts on the @utahjazz at midseason. You can catch the interview on @kslsports Sunday night at 10:45. Here is our discussion of Lauri Markkanen’s emergence as a star. #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/k7WfnsALin
— Jeremiah Jensen (@JJSportsBeat) January 8, 2023
Markkanen finished seventh among first basemen in the West in the first round of All-Star voting. All-Star Starters and reserves will be named in late January and early February.
“There’s not a lot of seven-footers that shoot like that, so I think he got it,” Smith said. But at the same time, that’s not the main goal for any of them and I think you’ve seen that with Lauri and [Jordan Clarson] and others. Of course, it’s about the team. ”
Smith Plans To Blow Out All-Star Festivities
The NBA All-Star Game will return to Utah in February, marking the 30-year anniversary of the first time the event was held at the then-Delta Center. Read also : The USA ends up in 13th place in the World Triathlon Mixed Relay Event in Hamburg.
While the prices of admission to the big events may be high for some Utah families, Smith said he has made plans to make the All-Star festivities more affordable this year.
“When I was a little kid, obviously I didn’t go to the games and I didn’t have the money to go in. But, I went up to the Jam Session at the Salt Palace where it was like a basketball session, ” Smith said.
Lauri Markkanen had a strong showing in the first round of NBA All-Star voting. #TakeNote https://t.co/chj15pstwV
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 5, 2023
“We’re bringing back the Jam Session. The NBA doesn’t do that anymore, so we want every Little Jazz kid, we want everybody in the state to be able to come in and have something to do regardless whether you go to the game or not. “
With visitors coming to Utah from around the world, the 2023 All-Star Week is expected to generate $45-50 million in economic benefits for the state according to former Governor Gary Herbert.
“It’s going to start, we haven’t had an event here probably since the Olympics like this and hopefully we’re ready,” Smith said. But the Jazz community, our city officials, the government, they all come together – our supporters. It’s great to see the city step up and I’m excited to do the show. ”
Jordan Clarkson Extension Talks
Like Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson is having a career year in Utah. See the article : Improving to 3-0, Team USA Hockey’s Wyatt Kaiser ‘held the stage’ with a 7-0 win over winless Austria. But unlike his Jazz teammate, Clarkson can reach free agency this summer if he opts out of the final year of his deal in Utah.
With the Sixth Man of the Year averaging more than 20 points a game for the first time in his career, it’s a safe bet he’ll be looking for a long financial commitment in the coming months.
Clarkson at @utahjazz vs Pelicans 🏀😤#TakeNote https://t.co/Pg4p5Jpl5p
– KSL Sports (@kslsports) December 14, 2022
“We’ve had conversations internally, we can’t talk about it publicly but we really like Jordan,” Ainge said. “He’s great, the fans love him, but so do we.”
Clarkson is one of only five holdovers from last year’s roster and played a key role in keeping the team close to the .500 mark at midseason.
“We talk all the time after the games that we get from him and his talents,” Ainge said. “Talk about someone who brings as much joy to the game, Jordan as anyone.”
Another Major Sport In Utah?
Before the season started, Smith announced that Arctos Sports Partners was buying a minority stake in Smith Entertainment Group (SEG), the entity that owns the Jazz, and hoped to bring in a third professional sports team. in Utah.
There was no timeline given on when SEG and Arctos might bring a team to Utah, but internally, it is believed that the “significant” partnership increases the chances of bringing another team to Utah. professional sports in the country.
“We’re looking at it over and over again – it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen, what’s the best way to do it?” Smith said. “Are we a country that can handle both – be it MLB, NHL or whatever it might be? It’s kind of interesting, I’m not sure. But we can support, in terms of government, another group.”
Smith purchased Real Salt Lake, the state’s Major League Soccer franchise last January and continues to monitor other opportunities to expand the Utah stadium.
“Timing is everything,” Smith said, “but there’s a lot of prep work that needs to happen.”
Catch Smith and Ainge discussing a variety of Jazz-related topics with Jeremiah Jensen on KSL TV.
Who is the best Utah Jazz player of all time?
John Stockton played for the Jazz for 18 years and helped Utah to two NBA Finals appearances. Stockton currently holds career records for steals and assists, and no, Rajon Rondo isn’t close. John Stockton was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.
How many Jazz players have won MVP? NBA Most Valuable Player Karl Malone (2).
Who has scored the most points in Jazz franchise history?
Career Leaders
- Karl Malone* 1434.
- Mark Eaton. 875.
- Darrell Griffith. 765.
- Thurl Bailey. 708.
- Greg Ostertag. 700.
- Andrei Kirilenko. 681.
- Derrick Favors. 644.
- Bryon Russell. 628.
Are the Utah Jazz Mormon?
Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith are members of the Church, as were the original owners, Larry and Gail Miller.
Why is Jazz called team 49?
The Jazz are entering their 49th season as a franchise since its humble beginnings in New Orleans, though Hardy used the phrase as a rallying cry for who the roster is. “We know who we have and this is the 49th team in Jazz history,†Hardy said. “That’s our goal, team 49.â€
Why didn’t the Lakers change their name?
When the team moved to Los Angeles in 1960 they kept their name, so ‘Lakers’ refers to the many lakes of their former home.
Did the Lakers change their name?
Why did the Minneapolis Lakers move?
Mikan retired after the 1955-56 season, and the Lakers struggled to find success without him, finishing under . 500 in each of the next four seasons. With fan interest and attendance dropping rapidly, Bob Short, who bought the team in 1957, moved to Los Angeles as an official in 1960.
Why are the Lakers still called the Lakers?
The team moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1947, and its name was changed to the Lakers to reflect Minnesota’s nickname, the “Land of 10,000 Lakes.†That same year, the Lakers acquired George Mikan, whom they became a professional basketball player. the first prominent “big man†and the first in a series of Laker big centers.
What did Magic Johnson have to say about the Lakers?
“First of all, you can’t do a story about the Lakers without the Lakers,†says Johnson, 62. “The real Lakers. You must have boys. There is no way to imitate Showtime.
How long can you stay in the G League?
Reserve players are NBA players with less than three years of NBA service who can play with an NBA G League member for an unlimited number of games throughout the season while still on the roster. of the NBA.
What is the minimum G League contract? Minimum Salary in the G-League The lowest a G League player can earn is $7,400 per month, or $37,000 for a five-month playing season contract.
Can you get drafted out of the G League?
12 players have been selected in the NBA G-League in NBA draft history, 5 in the first round (5 in the last 10 years), 7 in the second round and 1 in the top 3.
Do G League players get paid?
Unlike the NBA, the G League pays all players minimum wages, so there is no gap between minimum and maximum wages or anything in between. However, there are ways for G League players to earn more than $40,500.
Who is considered the king of jazz?
Paul Whiteman, (born March 28, 1890, Denver, Colorado, U.S.—died December 29, 1967, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, U.S.), American band leader, called “The King of Jazz” because of popularizing the style of music that helped develop jazz to. mainstream audience in the 1920s and 1930s.
Who is the greatest jazz musician? Miles Davis, the trumpeter whose ever-evolving music and style made him a 20th Century icon, has been named the greatest jazz musician of all time.
Who is the father of jazz?
Louis Armstrong was born in a poor part of New Orleans known as âthe Battlefieldâ on August 4, 1901. At the time of his death in 1971, the man known to the world as Satchmo was widely recognized as the father of the founder. of jazz—a uniquely American art form.
Is Louis Armstrong the king of jazz?
Louis Armstrong was known as the King of jazz, a trumpet player and singer who was one of the most influential people in jazz music. He was famous for his innovative playing of the trumpet and cornet, and was also a highly talented musician blessed with a powerful voice.
Who is the true King of Jazz?
In his autobiography, Duke Ellington declared, “Paul Whiteman was known as the King of Jazz, and no one has come close to carrying that title with more confidence and dignity.”
