Utah Jazz: Shake, rattle and roll Team uses pregame rituals to get ready for battle
And that is just the opening ceremony for these players' pregame rituals.
From the time they get dressed until tipoff, members of the Jazz have all sorts of things to do besides stretching and shooting layups and 3-pointers. Some are playful. Some are simply habitual. And all, of course, are critical.
It starts with the "jumping circle," which backup point guard Ronnie Price says they do "to get some blood flowing," and it doesn't end until ...
... C.J. Miles has done all of his playgroundlike handshakes with the starters;
... Carlos Boozer has wiped his feet on the sticky shoe pad, pounded fists with people on the scorer's table and squeezed the game ball;
... Andrei Kirilenko has circled the court to shake all three referees' hands;
... Deron Williams has tossed his heating pack to Jarron Collins and chest-bumped a few players;
... all of the reserves have assumed their unofficially reserved positions on the bench;
... and, well, lots of other important stuff that always happens while fans are waiting in hot-dog lines and scrambling for seats when the ref throws the ball up at center court.
"Everything is so ritualized. It's always the same. Just watch it. It's kind of funny," Collins said. "And if anybody throws anything off with the seating assignment or the ritual it's like, 'What are you doing? You're jinxing us.'"
The happy-go-lucky Miles is the ringleader/head cheerleader. If the NBA had an award for having fun and pumping teammates up during introductions, this enthusiastic 21-year-old would be a serious MVP candidate. Miles is the personal welcoming party for each player at the end of the human greeting tunnel that forms by the Jazz bench when starters are announced.
Miles has a personalized handshake for each starter and for others on the team that he energetically performs when the players run through the tunnel.
With Mehmet Okur, Miles wiggles his fingers to signify money because that's one of the Jazz center's nicknames. He does a Russian variation of that with Kirilenko. Boozer's choreographed handshake used to be longer, but they shortened it down this season.
Miles saves his best for the starting guards. In Saturday's Game 4, Miles and Ronnie Brewer crouched down and slapped hands. He said they always do "something off the wall" that they make up.
Will Ferrell and Napoleon Dynamite (at least the actor who played him) can take some credit for the creative routine that Miles and Williams do. The Jazz guards were watching "Blades of Glory," when they were inspired by the two ice-skating actors. (And, really, who wasn't?)
Recent comments
Once again sloan is not caoch of the year.
That's how
everyone...
Anonymous | April 29, 2008 at 4:52 p.m.
GO JAZZ!!!
Just 2 words | April 29, 2008 at 4:19 p.m.
haha jazz pre-game ritual is to go out and be physical. they build up...
pre-game | April 29, 2008 at 3:23 p.m.
- Animals removed from filthy home 10:56 p.m.
- Mall owner seeks to retain zoning 10:56 p.m.
- Report: Tabloid hacked voice mails 10:47 p.m.
- National news capsules 10:46 p.m.
- 25 killed, 13 children, in Afghan blast 10:46 p.m.
- Drowning risk greatest in summer 10:38 p.m.
- Schools may give kids swine flu shots 10:36 p.m.
- Utahns hope NSA brings jobs 10:35 p.m.
- Baseball fans get in for free in Ogden 10:32 p.m.
- Angled parking out in Springville 10:28 p.m.
- Blazers may offer Millsap a contract
- Utah's top 10: Wealth of recreation
- Restaurant burns in 3-alarm fire
- Send Boozer to the Bulls?
- MWC, WAC rushed into BCS
- O'Connor unhappy Fes not with team
- Jazz in back of line for free agents
- Keeping golf light on the wallet
- Fatigued Jazz no match for Pacers
- Teen injured in fall from waterfall
- Bronco collecting a galaxy of recruits
140 - Letters: Palin mistreated
136 - Teachers struggle with district cuts
134 - Blazers may offer Millsap a contract
121 - 'Tea party' protesters unhappy
107 - Fairness of BCS debated
81 - Stadium of Fire lights up the 4th
79 - Send Boozer to the Bulls?
76 - Chaffetz eyes challenging Bennett
72 - Moon landing: Let's hear from you
71
Real Salt Lake striker Yura Movsisyan travelled to Europe over last...
Two California high school receivers have given the University of Utah
The recent Poly camp in Bountiful opened the eyes of recruiters to at...
BYU will need to win it's last 4 games and Ventura County Fusion or LA...
Stadium of Fire is about making money. If you are critical you are said to be...
There goes another GM stock. Then again, who cares about the little...
ITS GOOD THEY HAVE A GOOD MANAGER LIKE STEVE WOOD WHO HAS BEEN THERE FOR MANY...
Keep in mind what the Jazz paid Okur - a guy who didn't hit 10 points per...
I agree with "Correction" at 10:17 a.m. Neil Armstrong insists that his first...
Re Okur: Disagree with #s 3,4,5,7 and 8. Don't underestimate our guys....
They used that "stomach exploding' myth with both Fizzies and Pop Rocks.
Tyrus Thomas is AWESOME! I'll drop Booz for 2 blocks a game any day. I can't...
I can hardly wait to hear the crying and whining when fans in Jazzland...



