SALT LAKE CITY — Georges Niang has been at the center of Utah Jazz-produced content this week.
The Jazz’s sharpshooter was the first basketball player on teammate Joe Ingles’ podcast, “Ingles Insight,” in an episode that came out on Wednesday. Then, on Niang’s own podcast “Drive & Dish,” Niang talked at length with Jazz teammate Mike Conley in an episode that dropped Thursday.
Ingles joked that Niang was the only guest that has asked to be on “Ingles Insight,” while all Ingles’ other guests had to be invited.
Niang and Ingles talked about Niang’s experience at Iowa State and the transition to the NBA, Niang’s time in the G League and his determination to earn an NBA contract.
Niang also shared that he is grateful for the camaraderie the NBA provides and that he’s lucky to have a career doing what he loves, but also noted that the NBA lifestyle can be tough at times being away from family and living alone.
“You do come from a game where there’s 18,000 people and right after you’re home alone,” he said. “Sometimes it’s great when you want your rest and your sleep but it’s always nice to have a family and be around people, and it does get lonely.”
In dealing with some of the isolation that extended quarantine has required, Niang said that he took inspiration from Ingles starting a podcast.
“I saw how much fun you were having,” Niang said.
In turn, Ingles and his wife Renae said that they are huge fans of Niang’s show and were excited about his upcoming guest, who turned out to be Conley.
Conley and Niang covered a wide range of topics from life during the pandemic to video games, golf, Michael Jordan, introductions to basketball, bucket lists, the NFL draft and basketball legacies.
When asked what he is looking forward to most once the world normalizes, Conley said he is looking forward to a good sit-down meal at a nice restaurant and later joked that one of his bucket list items is very similar.
“Right now to just be able to drop the kids off at either grandparents house and just sit,” Conley said with a laugh.
Conley, who is a fairly avid golfer, noted that his favorite course is Pebble Beach, which he was fortunate enough to play for the first time last summer.
“It was probably the coolest of all the courses I’ve been to,” he said.
After talking about “Call of Duty,” the fantasy of playing golf with comedian Mike Epps and Conley’s introduction to fashion, Niang changed tones and took things a little deeper, asking about Conley’s basketball legacy.
“Hopefully, with your help, they remember me as a champion,” Conley said. “Other than that, just that I was a guy that gave everything to the game, a fierce competitor and the ultimate teammate.”
Conley was Niang’s sixth guest on “Drive & Dish,” which has previously featured former Jazzman Bryon Russell, Utah Royals FC star Amy Rodriguez and Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, as well as teammates Donovan Mitchell and Jordan Clarkson.