Utah Jazz keep low profile with law
On police blotters.
Unlike so many of their rivals, year in and year out, the Jazz never see a court, except for the one in the gymnasium.
Compared to the rest of the NBA, they're the Walton family.
Maybe it's because they live in Salt Lake City, with its tame night life and liquor laws. Or maybe it's because the Jazz demand old-school discipline and choose their players believing that character counts as much as quickness.
Whatever the reason, the Jazz are not being arrested for DUIs (see Carmelo Anthony, Rashard Lewis), or domestic assault (Ron Artest, Jason Kidd, Kurt Thomas, etc.), or shoplifting (Juwan Howard). They're not being charged with firing a shotgun in the air outside a strip club (Stephen Jackson), or collecting tickets for driving 101 miles per hour in a 30 mph zone and 103 in a 55 mph zone in the same month (Kenyon Martin).
This should be the norm, of course. Pro athletes shouldn't be lauded for not breaking the law. That much should be expected.
Unfortunately, it's not the norm in the NBA.
According to Jeff Benedict, author of "Out of Bounds: Inside the NBA's Culture of Rape, Violence & Crime," 40 percent of NBA players have criminal records. Benedict's statistics are based on background checks he conducted of 177 players from the 2001-02 season. (Does anyone believe the situation has improved since then?)
Most of it ends with the equivalent of a hand slap. NBA players have probably performed more community service than United Way and Mother Teresa combined.
Meanwhile, the Jazz have been Boy Scouts by comparison. Since the Larry Miller Era began more than two decades ago, only a handful of Jazz players have been involved with the police — Luther Wright, Olden Polynice, DeShawn Stevenson, Robert Whaley and Deron Williams. As you'll see, other than the Stevenson case, it was all fairly innocuous stuff, and all but Williams were soon shown the door by the Jazz.
"Character is important," says Kevin O'Connor, Jazz vice president of basketball operations. "I also think that in this respect, whether it's (owner Larry Miller) or the front office or (coach) Jerry Sloan, there is an accountability. We ask the guys to be accountable. And we have a certain DNA about what we do."
The unusually high level of discipline the Jazz demand from their players while they're at work requires a certain type of player, and it probably carries over to their off hours. The Jazz Way is old school. It entails little things such as how socks are to be worn, tucking in jerseys and keeping them tucked, having shoes tied at all times, remaining in complete uniform until the coach has spoken to the team, leaving the court promptly after the game, sitting in a certain order during timeouts, and being on time, whether it's for practice or a meeting with the trainer (media appointments excepted).
Recent comments
Maybe the Jazz moms and Jazz fans would like their kids to sit next...
Memo to Jazz fans | May 1, 2008 at 1:03 p.m.
If you have lived in Portland for the last 10 years, you would understand...
Jazz Fan in Portland | April 24, 2008 at 6:08 p.m.
Character is great and should be sought after,
but it has...
Anonymous | April 24, 2008 at 5:02 p.m.
