After a dozen seasons of holding his spot in the paint while 200-pound athletes crashed into his torso, of battling more agile centers for rebounds, of torquing his spine to block or alter a shot, Mark Eaton's post-NBA lifestyle is, by necessity, a careful one.
Only recently, for instance, has he been able to resume physical activities - if you can call golf a physical activity."If I watch myself and don't overdo it too much, and spend some time each day lying down, I can do those things," Eaton said.
It seems a steep price to pay for a 12-year NBA career, especially considering the annual abuse heaped on Eaton by Utah Jazz fans ignorant of his true value to this team. Which raises the question: Was it worth it? "In a true physical sense, maybe not," Eaton acknowledged, "but in the sense of who I am, and what I did, and what I stand for . . . I wanted to be on the court every minute of every game. If I had it to do over again, I'd do it the same way."
Eaton will be rewarded for that selfless approach to his job tonight at the Delta Center. During halftime of the Jazz's game against the New York Knicks (which tips off at 6 p.m.), Eaton's number will be retired, his jersey hung in the rafters alongside those of No. 1, Frank Layden; No. 7, Pete Maravich; and No. 35, Darrell Griffith.
There may be a lunatic fringe of fans out there who think Eaton doesn't deserve such an honor, but his former teammates and coaches wholeheartedly support it.
"I'm thrilled to death this organization is going to retire Mark Eaton's number," said Jazz coach Jerry Sloan. "He worked every day. He played when he was hurt. I saw him many times on the road where his back was an S-curve, it was so out of line. He would always do his job, whatever it was. You have to have some guys who do the dirty work, and he was always willing to do the dirty work."
"I think it's great," said Karl Malone. "Mark has done a lot for this organization. Mark got more out of his talent, for what he was given, than just about anybody in this league."
Eaton, a Park City resident who says the Jazz were his family for 12 years, is still a frequent spectator at the Delta Center. He sits in the stands, as unobtrusive as a 7-foot-4 goliath can be, and occasionally wishes he was out there swatting shots.
"Uncontested layups still drive me crazy," he admits, with a somewhat sheepish smile. "It would have been fun to play another year, two at the outside, but all things come to an end sooner or later."