Jazz Training Camp Scrimmage

I apologize to one and all for delaying this post. Many of you already know I had the chance to meet and interview many of the members of the Utah Jazz, the best NBA team in the land (for the critics out there, this isn't based on the number of rings).

Every year the Jazz hold their training camp in Boise at Taco Bell Arena at Boise State University. I found out about this, or at least remembered this about a week before they came. Since I am now in the news business, I can have media access to events, killer deal. I put in the request to go and cover them, but due to the fact I am a reporter, and not a sports reporter many thought I was trying to get out of work, and many were right. But I pushed, nagged, bugged, you name it I did it, and finally our Sports Director got in a jam and needed someone to go to the scrimmage on the last day of camp. He said KSL in Salt Lake needed interviews and wanted me to go. I took hours deciding if this was the right opportunity for me. Yeah right, I called my wife to see if it was okay with her because it was on a Saturday morning when I am normally home. She is a good wife and realized how important this was to me...she let me go.


I went, and I sat on the court where the photographers normally sit during the game. As I look back on it now, I was the only one sitting on the floor with around 500 people in the stands, it probably looked weird, but I don't care. I was close and they weren't. Before I sat down I looked to my left and saw a man I recognized. Some of you might know him as Coach Sloan, but I just call him Jerry. I went over and introduced myself and told him I was a lifelong Jazz fan, even a couple of years ago when they couldn't buy a win. Again, a joke, he would have killed me to death if I had said that. I did feel like a little kid, but I wasn't I was an adult, an unbiased journalist admitting my affection for a sports team. I felt awkward, so I began to justify. "It probably doesn't mean too much to you to hear that." He said, "Yes it does. It's always good to meet a fan." He has the paws the size of ... well, let's just say he wears big gloves.



Feeling really stupid now I sat down cross-legged on the court under the hoop to the left if you reference the picture above. Jerry, (Coach Sloan to strangers) called the team in to divide them up into teams. Everyone was there except for Mr. Carlos Boozer who was with his family in Florida. Now these players are big. On TV they don't look that big because they're all big. Now don't get me wrong I have met few people who are bigger than me, but for me to say these guys are big is definitely saying something. AK47 is skinny on TV right? Well in person I wouldn't consider him boney or small, he just isn't thick and buff.



So the scrimmage began and Paul Millsap (My ex-boy. I'll explain later) had the first seven points for his team. Things weren't really crisp or smooth. The veterans were coaching the newbies where they were supposed to be on certain plays, but it was fun to watch them. AK had a great game, tossing lobs to Millsap. Ronnie Price had a great game but that is relative because no one played that much, and they only had two quarters 10 min each. They played one quarter then did some shooting drills then played another quarter with some of the teams switched.

While everyone was playing there were two who weren't.



Mr. Matt Harpring and Jarron Collins were riding bikes behind me. Being the great reporter I am, I uncrossed my legs and stood up and walked over to them and asked them if they were playing today. My good friend Matt responded first, "Does it look like it?" I said, "Nope." He said, "Well, there you go." Some friend he is. I tucked my tail between my legs, turned around and began to walk back to my spot on the court. J-dawg Collins spoke up and said, "Matt has a subtly problem." I then stopped and M-dawg (We were friends again) laughed. I asked them what injuries they had, and M-dawg said J-dawg (Not to be confused with the hot dog J-dawg's) had an ingrown toenail. J-dawg said M-dawg stubbed his toe. I then chimed in, wanting to get on M-dawg's good side said, "I heard J-dawg bit his tongue and is out for 3-6 weeks." They both laughed. Being the great comedian I am, I realized now was the time to make my exit while I was on top, leaving them begging for more...I sat back down, crossed my legs on the side of the court and watched the game.

I assume there are some of you, like my wife, who are getting bored with all the incredible details and the engaging writing, so I will make this long story short.

Psych! Not! Cha! If you don't like what you're reading you can skim it or just look at the pictures if you can't read. THIS post is for Jazz lovers and Scott lovers and if you love both of us, then you are my target audience.

My wife has been sitting next to me and inspired that last comment. She just said to me, "Holy cow! How much more are you going to write? So much for reporters keeping what they have to say short and to the point." I then, with my quick wit, said, "That is true, but every once and awhile there is a book that needs to be written.

So here is that book. Just be happy this is a picture book.


With all those side comments and distractions I just became tired of writing, (My wife laughs) so I am going to write the highlights and post some pictures.

After the game I interviewed Ronnie Price. He was cool. I liked him a lot. Really down to earth guy who seemed to be really happy to be playing for Jerry and with the other members of the Jazz. I also interviewed Ronnie Brewer. He was cool as well. I asked him how camp was. He said, "My legs are tired. Jerry Sloan Training Camp is tough, I'm glad it's over." I tried to interview Deron Williams, but he pretty much blew me off to sign stupid slips of paper for stupid fans. (I'm not bitter, he just lost his invitation to the sleep-over) I ran into CJ Miles. I didn't interview him, but we talked. He was really cool. I liked talking to him a lot. He just seemed like another brotha. (For all of you who think, 'He can't say that he isn't black,' think again. I have one black sibling, and a second on the way. If that doesn't make me black, I don't know what would.) We just talked about the 2-guard spot, and if he thinks he has a chance. I told him I like watching him play, he's flashy and just fun to watch.


As some of you may recall, I had a dream during last season about Paul Millsap. My dream went a lot like how my meeting of Jerry went earlier in this book/post. The big difference was, he is (now was) my favorite player on the Jazz. I expressed to him my feelings towards how he plays the game. He was flattered. And that was about it. So the whole day I wanted to meet him (like a teen-age boy telling a girl he thinks their cute) he is my favorite player in the NBA. I thought that would be a big deal to a guy who is only beginning his second year in the league.

Sorry the picture is blurry.

He finished signing his autograph, turned around and handed him a sheet of paper to sign. (Yes I got autographs of about 8 players, and yes, I know that's gay.) He writes left handed, and really took his time, wanting to make it nice. Time really didn't increase the appearance of his siggy. CJ later made fun of it and we joked around about that, but I digress to a conversation with my boy. :) I told Paul he was my favorite player and he said, "dkfjsajfflkj." Who in the world mumbles when another grown man, and in this case his elder (he was born Feb. 10, 1985), tells him he is their favorite player. That is why he is my ex-favorite, and CJ now bumped up from off the radar to number one.

CJ is on the right and Ronnie Brewer is on the left.

All in all, it was a great day. I loved it. I also interviewed Okur, he was cool, but nothing great. I hope you enjoyed your time reading about the Jazz. If you weren't on a magic or some kind of special carpet while reading this, you had better find one and start over. It really enhances your reading if you do.

Here are some other pictures of AK and others. If they are blurry I apologize. Since our camera got stolen in Utah I took these pictures with my iPhone.