Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill had something of a full-circle moment as he stood before a small scrum of reporters on the Utah Jazz basketball court following a pregame practice on the morning of Tuesday, April 2.
Merrill, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was grateful to be back in his home state, preparing for a game in Salt Lake City’s Delta Center arena where he cheered for the Jazz as a youth. It was also a short distance from where he grew up in Bountiful and less than 100 miles from where was a star player at Utah State University.
He had returned to Utah in an NBA uniform once before during his second year in the league, but he didn’t see action due to an injury. So Tuesday’s game against the Jazz would be a coming out party for the former Aggie.