Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell and former Ute Kyle Kuzma were spotted together at Thursday’s football game between University of Utah and Weber State.
Although it can’t hold a candle to Utah Jazz basketball in my humble opinion, it’s undeniably exciting that football season is upon us. A few games kicked off last weekend, but the college season is now officially underway this weekend and the NFL will begin next Sunday.
The local University of Utah squad started things off a little earlier than most with their first game of the season at home against the Weber State Wildcats on Thursday night. Weber made things interesting in the first half as they would trail by just seven going into halftime, but Utah eventually blew it open in the second half, winning by a count of 41-10.
But you’re not here for football news, are you? So let’s get on to how this relates to the Utah Jazz.
Although he doesn’t suit up for the Jazz, several local fans have a soft spot for former Ute Kyle Kuzma who now plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. Considering his local ties, how well he played in his rookie season and the fact that the Jazz very well could have found a way to nab him on draft night in 2017, it’s somewhat of a shame that they didn’t get him.
Sure, the draft is always kind of a crap-shoot and they ended up with Donovan Mitchell that night, so it’s hard to complain too much. But just imagine if the Jazz had somehow managed to land both Mitchell and Kuzma. Wow, talk about a star-studded young core.
However, even though such didn’t end up being the case, Kuzma still has plenty of love for Salt Lake City where he played his college ball. He’s given plenty of shout-outs to the Utes and has been back around a time or two since going pro.
Such was once again the case on Thursday night as Kuzma was in town for Utah’s battle against Weber State, and he was there chilling with none other than Donovan Mitchell, as you can see in the image below–
👋 @kylekuzma & @spidadmitchell! pic.twitter.com/OJwjFCU0qC
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) August 31, 2018
It’s no secret that Mitchell and Kuzma are friends. Kuzma went as far as to state that Mitchell was his pick for Rookie of the Year and Donovan has praised his NBA colleague in times past as well. The two have frequent communication on social media and I’m sure they keep in touch out of the public scene as well.
Seeing them together at the Ute game is cool for a number of reasons, and two in particular. First, the fact that both of these NBA rising stars would take the time to come support the local university squad (or in Kuzma’s case, his alma mater) is pretty sweet. Second, Mitchell’s popularity with players across the league is quite the sight to behold and surely should help Utah’s recruiting pitch in free agency periods to come.
The fact that Mitchell and Kuzma have such a strong relationship should be exciting for Jazz fans as well. Considering that Kyle played his college days in Salt Lake City, it’s entirely possible that he’d consider a return at some point in his professional career, especially if it meant playing alongside his friend Donovan Mitchell on what we can only assume would be a championship contending team by the time Kuzma hits free agency.
So I heard 😂😂 https://t.co/bKovkbFefB
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) August 30, 2018
Kuzma just so happens to be a capable stretch-four, which is exactly the kind of player the Jazz have sought in recent seasons. He’s great at creating his own shot and has extremely high potential, much like his pal Donovan.
The Jazz may have barely missed out on a chance to select Kuzma in the 2017 NBA Draft, but moments such as this that saw him and Mitchell together at the University of Utah football game at least keep alive a spark of hope that the hometown kid could one day return to his former stomping grounds and unite with the Jazz’s newest star.
We’re obviously far away from that even becoming anywhere close to a possibility. And I’m certain that for now, Kuzma is solely focused on improving and making his Lakers team better. But I still quite truthfully think it’s a possibility that shouldn’t be counted out.
Kuzma has played in Salt Lake City before, has made relatively frequent visits and is friends with Donovan Mitchell. That’s quite the reassuring formula for a potential reunion if you ask me.