SALT LAKE CITY Eleven consecutive wins bookended by two humbling losses makes the Utah Jazz somewhat of a mystery with 25% of the season over.
The impressive win streak vaulted the Jazz atop the Western Conference standings, looking down at the likes of defending champion Los Angeles Lakers and another expected contender in the Los Angeles Clippers. But both losses to the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets, respectively leave the impression that maybe the Jazz are not quite as good as their 15-5 record.
All of it prompts the obvious question: Are the Jazz merely a good team destined for another early offseason or are they legitimate championship contenders? At this point in the season, there s contrasting projections.
Somewhat shockingly, literally coming minutes after the fourth-year guard scored a season-high 36 points in the Jazz win over the New Orleans Pelicans, O Neal claimed Mitchell doesn t have what it takes to get to the next level. Wearing a headset listening to O Neal as part of a postgame interview on TNT, Mitchell shrugged off the criticism.
Inadvertently, the former NBA legend helped bring the Jazz players even closer than they were and sharpened their focus. In their ensuing game against the Golden State Warriors, the Jazz started the easy win on a 14-0 run on the way to a 30-point lead at halftime.
Utah Jazz officially sold to tech entrepreneur and Qualtrics founder Ryan Smith
The Utah Jazz today announced that tech entrepreneur and Qualtrics founder, Ryan Smith, and his wife Ashley, are the new majority owners of the Utah Jazz and affiliated businesses following a unanimous vote of approval by the NBA Board of Governors.
The transaction included the Utah Jazz, Vivint Arena, the NBA G League Salt Lake City Stars, and management operations of the Triple-A baseball affiliate Salt Lake Bees. A separate agreement and approval process are ongoing for The Zone Sports Network (97.5 FM, 1280 AM). These properties will comprise the newly formed Smith Entertainment Group (SEG). Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Qualtrics CEO Ryan Smith sits in the Hub at the company’s headquarters in Provo on Friday, Feb. 2, 2018.
Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
Smith, who grew up in Utah County and attended college at Brigham Young University, said he could have never envisioned a day like today as a young Jazz fan.
“I don’t think there has ever been a more exciting time to be in Utah,” Smith said. “Not only do we have a great team and organization with the Jazz, but the trajectory of the state as a whole is unmatched. There is so much opportunity here and success breeds success.
Sale of Utah Jazz to Ryan and Ashley Smith Approved by NBA Board of Governors
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SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ The Utah Jazz today announced that tech entrepreneur and Qualtrics founder, Ryan Smith, and his wife Ashley, are the new majority owners of the Utah Jazz and affiliated businesses following a unanimous vote of approval by the NBA Board of Governors.
The transaction included the Utah Jazz, Vivint Arena, the NBA G League Salt Lake City Stars, and management operations of the Triple-A baseball affiliate Salt Lake Bees. A separate agreement and approval process are ongoing for The Zone Sports Network (97.5 FM, 1280 AM). These properties will comprise the newly formed Smith Entertainment Group (SEG). Terms of the deal were not disclosed.