Boris Diaw
The most memorable part of Boris Diaw’s end of season interview was without a doubt when he responded to a question about what he would tell potential free agents to get them to come to Utah by saying, “It’s a great nightlife.”
Of course everyone in the room got a nice laugh out of his joke that made reference to some recent comments by a few members of the Golden State Warriors. He then perfectly articulated how the Jazz ought to be appealing to free agents from a basketball standpoint because of where the team is at, but also from a personal standpoint as he claimed he’s loved living in Utah and loves the city.
Given the flack that the state of Utah took following those comments from the Golden State Warriors, it was good to hear Diaw (among others) praise it as a great place to live and, even more importantly, as a great destination for those wanting to join a promising basketball team.
What would Boris Diaw tell potential free agents about Utah? "It’s a great nightlife."
— Jody Genessy (@DJJazzyJody) May 9, 2017
But the part of his interview that I liked the most in terms of his view on the team came much earlier when he talked about Utah’s potential to become a championship caliber team.
He clearly recognized that the Warriors were the superior team but that he likes the direction the Jazz are headed and as their youth grows into reaching their potential, they could very much be a contender in the future.
He also touched on his status with a non-guaranteed contract next season and while it sounded like Boris most definitely would like to be back, as a seasoned pro he would almost certainly understand if the Jazz were forced to decline their team option on him to make changes that they felt would benefit the team.
Although Diaw had his ups and downs this past year, I’d love to see him back as I think he brings excellent veteran leadership and could continue to be a great mentor and friend to fellow Frenchman Rudy Gobert. Of course depending what offers or opportunities arise this offseason, I’d understand if Jazz brass couldn’t make it work, but also feel that Diaw would likely be missed in more ways than one if he wasn’t retained.