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INDIANAPOLIS — When Keyonte George sat down to watch film Tuesday, he thought it would be a typical session. He's had dozens of them in the NBA already, and hundreds during his basketball-playing life. At this point, they are more than an old hat.
He'll remember Tuesday's, though, for the rest of his life.
"Hey Keyonte, how are you feeling?" Hardy yelled at George.
"I'm feeling good, coach," said George, a little confused about the query.
"Good. You're starting tomorrow," Hardy said.
It was a nonchalant announcement of a transformative moment for George — and for the franchise. On the ninth game of George's career, the Jazz handed the rookie guard the keys to the offense.
It wasn't a decision made lightly, either.
It wasn't Hardy and the team trying something out to break out of an early-season slide. And, no, it wasn't just a nice birthday gift for George, who, coincidentally, turned 20 years old Wednesday.
The Jazz know there will be growing pains and mistakes, but they have seen enough ability from George in his short time in the organization to feel confident that the move is the best step for both the team's future and even its present.
"When he told me I kind of had a big smile on my face," George said. "That's kind of something I've been waiting for. I'm always talking about waiting my time, waiting for the opportunity, and it came (Wednesday)."
George quickly told his girlfriend, he called his mom, and he talked to his best friend. Excitement was shared and tears were shed, and that was all before George actually stepped on the court, ready for the opening minutes of an NBA game for the first time.
So how did it go?
One hundred seconds in, the Jazz were down 7-0 and Hardy was forced to call a timeout — not exactly the dream start for George and Co.. But when the Jazz returned from that quick stoppage, it provided an intriguing glimpse of what the young team can look like.
Utah went on an immediate 12-0 run with a spread-out offense and high-energy defense. John Collins was rolling to the hoop, Jordan Clarkson had plenty of space to operate, Lauri Markkanen was, well, Lauri Markkanen, and it was George running the show.
George finished with 7 points and nine assists (to just one turnover) in his first start. While the Jazz didn't get the win — Indiana ran away in the fourth quarter for a 133-118 victory — there were enough positives for George to feel good about his performance.
"I think it went well," he said. "We didn't come out with the outcome that we wanted, but overall I think I brought a little pace to the game. I think I did a great job kind of finding our guys trying to get them in rhythm. I think defensively, I completed; but at the same time, I know I can give more. I mean, overall, I think we played well."
Hardy echoed those same thoughts.
He highlighted the assist-to-turnover ratio, and even said there were times that George can — and should — be more aggressive. The rookie guard was 3-of-8 from the field, and Hardy said he turned down "five or six shots off the bounce that we would like to see him take; but I think, overall, his poise and communication tonight was fantastic."
Poise is something that comes up a lot when talking about the now 20-year-old guard. Hardy used the word, as did Clarkson and Ochai Agbaji. It's that attribute that has given the team — from the front office on down to the players — confidence that George is ready for this role.
"I think all the guys on the team recognize Keyonte's ability," Hardy said. "I think everybody on the team has been really impressed with his maturity and his age, his understanding at his age. And so I think the team received him well; they've been very supportive of him all season. And I felt the same way this morning when we told the team that we were changing the lineup. There's a lot of belief within our organization in Keyonte, and the players are included in that."
With his performance Wednesday, George mostly added to that belief.
"The best birthday present you could ask for," George said.
