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It has been a long time since Adrian Dantley made headlines in Utah, so it's good to see him doing it again while receiving the accolades he deserves. Finally, his jersey is being retired and will hang prominently from the rafters at EnergySolutions Arena.
It's about time!
A lot of current Jazz fans never saw Dantley play. It's been nearly 21 years since he donned a Jazz uniform. The state's population has nearly doubled in that time. For sure, all those newcomers missed something special.
Both Dantley and the Jazz came to Utah the same year - in 1979. A degree of community wariness greeted the new franchise, but A.D. helped fill the arena and bring supporters into the fold.
He was a prolific scorer who still holds the franchise record of 29.6 points, on average, per game. Smooth, deceptive and explosive - a six-time all star who gave the team credibility and helped the Jazz become playoff regulars.
Yet, sadly, the same misunderstandings that led to his being traded after seven seasons to Detroit skewed the timing of rightly honoring one so eminently deserving.
Now, that's water under the bridge and No. 4 will hang, as it should, alongside the jerseys of other Jazz heroes.
