Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — When Jack Cooley's flight was cancelled, the Jazz called Jason Washburn a day early to come work out and "Wash" was ready, willing, and grateful for the chance.
The Jazz already had Washburn on the list to come Friday, but "things happen, and that's why you always got to stay ready," Washburn said. "You always got to stay prepared. My agent called me last night and said the Jazz might want to go with me today, I said I was prepared, I was ready and I came out here and I did my best."
Washburn knows that playing in the NBA isn't likely but he also knows his career isn't over.
"I am just trying to play at the next level," Washburn said. "The more NBA exposure you get over here, the higher your stock goes over seas. The better you perform, the more people see you, the more people talk around the league, the more workouts you get. I am just trying to play basketball. I love this game, obviously I would love to play in the (United) States, play in front of my family, but where ever I end up playing is where I end up playing and I am going to enjoy myself and do my best."
That kind of attitude is what earned Washburn All-Pac-12 honorable mention his senior year at Utah.
"Coach said in our final break there that this is a job interview. You try to come in and put your best foot forward, if you are having a bad day you just got to keep pushing through it. Through my good times and bad times today I just try to keep a smile on my face, keep supporting the people around me. Hopefully I showed them something good."
Washburn has already worked out with Houston and Brooklyn and knows that more teams have expressed interest, they are just waiting to hear how he played for the Jazz Thursday.
He has had great help from his head coach at Utah in getting ready for this process.
"Coach K (Krystkowiak) getting me in the gym, he's putting me through NBA type workouts cause he's done it before so there is now reason for me to go anywhere," Washburn said. "I think I'd be a fool not to (use him). He played in the NBA, coached in the NBA, I come out here and none of these drills are really new to me because right after the season he got in the gym with me and we were doing just this. It's nothing new, I think it only gives me an advantage."
Where ever this workout process takes him, he knows it helps in the end.
"It gave me a lot to evaluate, to look at my game, show me what I did well and what I still need to improve on. It showed me that I am in pretty good shape. I think I can get better, but overall it has been a really good experience, a really good workout. I really enjoyed myself."
