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This week, rookie Keyonte George executed an absolutely beautiful posterizing dunk over New Orleans Pelicans guard Dyson Daniels.
Simone Fontecchio was leading the fast break for the Utah Jazz and when he passed it at the last second to George, the 20-year-old knew that he was gonna go for the dunk. Because the Australian Daniels was in the air with him and because it all happened so fast, he wasn’t even sure that he’d made it. But he heard the sound of the crowd.
“Amazing,” George said. “First of many, hopefully.”
See, this was the first time in his life, not just in his NBA career, that he’d dunked on someone in a game.
Coincidentally, his first NBA poster shares a lot of similarities with Jordan Clarkson’s first.
It actually happened in Utah. Early in his career, while he was playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, Clarkson stole the ball at what was then EnergySolutions Arena. He ran down the court and dunked the ball on a young Australian guard who was playing for the Utah Jazz.
“It was a steal and I took it to the other end and dunked it, I think it was on Dante Exum,” Clarkson said with a laugh. “Not to name-drop but that’s the guy that was there.”
Clarkson flexed and saluted to the delight of Lakers fans in attendance.
Years later, another Aussie guard would be on the wrong end of a dunk and Clarkson was there to see it.
“Oh that was nasty,” Clarkson said with a smile when asked about George’s dunk. “He kind of surprised me.”
New with the Jazz
Quote of the week
“If the defense tells us to shoot five times in a row, then you should shoot five times in a row ... If their defense tells us to pass five times in a row, I expect us to pass five times in a row.” — Utah Jazz coach Will Hardy
From the archives
Extra points
- A trio of former Jazzmen help Timberwolves beat the Utah Jazz (Deseret News)
- How Lauri Markkanen is helping a father and daughter’s dreams come true (Deseret News)
- For the Utah Jazz, the lights went out in Memphis in two different ways (Deseret News)
- How are the Utah Jazz rookies faring in the G League with the SLC Stars? (Salt Lake Tribune)
Around the league
- LeBron says he would skip Lakers game for son’s debut at USC.
- Detroit Pistons on longest losing streak in franchise history, go winless in November.
- Larry Nance Jr. to miss 4-6 weeks with rib fracture.
Up next: 2023-24 regular season
- Dec. 2 | 7:30 p.m. | Utah Jazz vs. Portland Trail Blazers | KJZZ
- Dec. 6 | 6:30 p.m. | Utah Jazz @ Dallas Mavericks | KJZZ
- Dec. 8 | 8 p.m. | Utah Jazz vs. Los Angeles Clippers | ESPN
All times MST
