Jazz players feel at home in Salt Lake City


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SALT LAKE CITY — There's a perception out there. You've heard it for years.

NBA players don't want to play in Utah.

But if you go up and down the Jazz's roster, you'll find players who either like or love playing and living in Salt Lake City. That's even despite the frigid winters and relative lack of diversity and nightlife.

Take Trevor Booker for example. Booker, a free agent in the summer of 2014, chose to come to the Jazz from the Washington Wizards after growing up in South Carolina for numerous factors: probably the biggest one was the chance to earn a spot as the Jazz's third big and leader for a young core. But when he arrived in Salt Lake City, he found a new home.

"The city is great, it's family oriented," Booker said. "Great for my family. It's just a perfect fit for me."

Derrick Favors grew up in Atlanta and played in college for Georgia Tech. After 5 years playing for the Jazz, Favors makes his full-time home in Utah and gets involved with numerous chairty projects. Last month, he donated backpacks full of school supplies to a local Boys and Girls Club.

Rudy Gobert's from France, and now entering his third season in the NBA. Last month on fellow Frenchman Tony Parker's podcast, Parker teasingly tried to recruit him. But Gobert wouldn't allow it, saying "I want to stay there" and "I like it there" on Parker's joking requests.

These three aren't alone. Leading up to training camp, the Jazz had optional workouts hosted at the Zions Bank Basketball Center, where the team would work together on strength training, agility, drills, and even scrimmage together. While two injuries and two European commitments held players out, literally every healthy, free man on the Jazz's 20-man roster who could attend ended their summer vacation early to come back to Utah.

Jazz coach Quin Snyder has an affinity for Utah as well. After five different coaching stints in six years, Snyder finally wants to make a home in Utah.

Introducing the season at Media Day, Snyder said, "There's a connectivity that I've felt throughout the year, and the players have felt this too, with this community and the organization."

[Went to the American Oktoberfest with my new buddy Raul Neto ! We had some good German food 😉 #oktoberfest #saltlakecity #UtahJazz #newteammate](https://instagram.com/p/779E2OhElf/) A photo posted by Tibor Pleiß (@taibor1) on

Without being prompted, Snyder continued on the importance of the Salt Lake community to him personally:

"And really, it's gratifying to be able to feel that within our organization, and personally, for me to be able to find it within a community. I didn't go out to dinner a lot last season. But having a chance to lead a more regular life, there's a fun and rewarding experience here. And that's one of the reasons our guys come back during the summer, because they feel comfortable here. I just wanted to note that."

Then there are the players who have left Utah but make a home here anyway. The biggest example is Deron Williams, now of the Dallas Mavericks.

Williams told Resident magazine in New York City about the advantages of living in Utah.

"In Utah, you just send your kids to the first public school in the area because they're all great. Truth is, we enjoy getting away from the hustle and bustle and going back to Utah every summer. It's a relief to take that timeout. No traffic. No crowds. My daughters still have their friends there. There's a big backyard. They go to the pool; the playground and they jump on the trampoline. Kids running wild and free here in New York …? I don't think so."

And the team's newest Jazzmen seem to be enjoying life so far in Salt Lake City as well. Tibor Pleiss, originally from Germany, and Raul Neto, a Brazilian, have both commented on how they've enjoyed living in Utah so far.

They both ventured up to Snowbird's Oktoberfest, and Pleiss seemed to enjoy the goofy facsimile of his country's traditions.

"German steins in America, it was really funny. I was laughing a lot," Pleiss said. "It was amazing to hear some German country music. The beer dance was amazing."

As the Jazz continue to improve, and with the massive amount of cap space the team will have next season due to their new TV deal, the current players on the roster may have some recruiting to do to bring talent to Utah.

With Salt Lake City's growing reputation in the mind of the NBA, that recruiting will be easier than ever.

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Andy Larsen

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