With the Utah Jazz set to take on the Memphis Grizzlies in the opening round of the NBA playoffs, the team received some tragic news before the matchup.
The Utah Jazz are facing a tough situation heading into their game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, April 6th. In the final minutes of their regular season matchup with the Chicago Bulls, the Jazz lost star Derrick Favors to a season-ending right ankle injury. The injury took place in the third quarter of the game and the team announced that he would undergo surgery to repair the injury on Thursday. On top of that, rumors began to fly that the injury could be career threatening. You can read more about the rumors in this post on Reddit.
The Utah Jazz are still alive and well in the playoff race despite receiving their most devastating news yet. Jason Kidd has suffered a broken leg and will miss the remainder of the season. The injury is a major setback for both the franchise and their playoff hopes. The injury occurred in the first quarter of the Jazz’s last game against the Dallas Mavericks.
The Utah Jazz are back in a tie in their playoff series with the Memphis Grizzlies after star Donovan Mitchell lost Game 1. The team enters Saturday’s third game with a draw, but playing in pain and away from home. The Jazz have learned of the shocking death of former great Mark Eaton, who was found in the middle of the road Friday night.Mark Eaton was one of the Utah Jazz’s best defensive players
Mark Eaton #53 of the Utah Jazz plays defense during an NBA game at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah, 1988. (Photo: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) Eaton played at UCLA University. The 6-foot-8 center was selected by the Jazz in the fourth round of the 1982 NBA Draft. Eaton was never known as a scorer, he made his living defending. In his second year in the NBA, he led the league with 4.3 blocks per game. He led the league in that category four times in his career. Eaton was the defender in the middle. Her average of 3.51 blocks per game remains the best in league history. He was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year in the 1984-85 and 1988-89 seasons. He was selected to the defensive team for five seasons. For a great man, he was as resilient as the rest. He has played in 338 consecutive games. In the 1988-89 season, he was the only NBA All-Star to average 6.2 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per game. Eaton finished his career averaging six points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game.
Eaton died in a bicycle accident at the age of 64
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Utah Jazz legend Mark Eaton. Our thoughts are with his family as we all mourn the loss of a great man, mentor, athlete and member of the community. pic.twitter.com/HkINyLF9ix – utahjazz (@utahjazz) May 29, 2021 The Jazz announced Saturday that Eaton died in a hospital after he crashed his bike in Summit County, Utah. According to police, Eaton was found lying in the street before being taken to a local hospital, where he died. The Utah Jazz are deeply saddened by the unexpected passing of Mark Eaton, who was an important figure in the history of our franchise and had a significant impact on the community after his basketball career ended, the Jazz said in a statement, according to NBA.com. Mark played his entire 11-year NBA career with the Jazz, and his number was retired because he was an NBA All-Star and two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He remained a friend and ambassador of the organization while giving back to his hometown in Utah as a businessman and volunteer. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his wife Teri and their entire family. Brand will be greatly missed by all members of Jazz. During the 1995-96 season, the Jazz retired Eaton’s number 53 jersey.
Eaton was coached by Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert
To my great mentor and friend @markeaton7ft4 , a unique and amazing human being, I am grateful for your presence in my life over the years. I will miss our conversations. But I know you guys will be watching. pic.twitter.com/XDvEJTPCwp – Rudy Gobert (@rudygobert27) May 29, 2021 Eaton still holds the record for most blocks in a season. He blocked 456 shots in the 1984-85 season. In a 2019 interview, he said he couldn’t believe his record could still keep pace with all the quality centers playing the game. It baffles me, Eaton said at the time. I kept thinking someone was going to come and push me out of the way. It’s amazing. I don’t think about it often, but sometimes I look at all the great midfielders that have come through and none come close to that record. It’s a little crazy. Eaton played an important role as a mentor to Jazz center Rudy Gobert. Gobert is widely considered one of the biggest defensive stars in the modern NBA. I text Rudy sometimes and tell him it’s your job to guard the whole team, Eaton said in 2019. Color is your home. Don’t let anyone in. I like watching it. He’s so exciting. Gobert was devastated when he heard the news of Eaton’s death. To my great mentor and friend @markeaton7ft4, a unique and amazing person, I am grateful for your presence in my life over the years, Gobert tweeted. I will miss our conversations. But I know you’ll be watching. Statistics provided by Basketball Reference. COMPARED TO: What happened to Utah Jazz legend Carl Malone?The Utah Jazz are coming off a rough regular season. It seems like any time they are in the mix for the playoffs, there is some sort of setback or injury. The Jazz are currently playing the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The game is tonight, April 17th, at 8:30 P.M. MST.. Read more about nba grizzlies and let us know what you think.
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