If you had any doubt that the return of Utah Jazz basketball is right around the corner, take note: the Ingles has landed!
If you’re like me — obsessed with hoops, an obsessive-compulsive person in life or some combination thereof — your calendar is no doubt marked with dates/events that are constantly mulled over and counted down to. Draft day, the NBA trade deadline, the All-Star break and the July moratorium all come to mind.
On Tuesday, another of those big events came to pass; for the roundball-starved masses in the Utah Jazz’s neck of the woods, it was the harbinger of a new year in Jazz basketball. Proof positive that the blue, green and gold crew are set to rock the hardwood in just a matter of weeks and our annual signal that the dog days are nearing their end.
In short: the Ingles has landed!
https://twitter.com/Joeingles7/status/1037024857693728769
That’s right, Jazz fans — Slow-Mo’ Joe Ingles has arrived in Salt Lake City after what was apparently a pretty intense flight. Ingles’ wife, Renae, summed it up as such —
Brutal indeed.
Nevertheless, the Ingles Family’s return to Jazzland represents a lot more than the homecoming of some of Utah’s truly unique characters (although it’s certainly that as well). It’s indicative of the fact that the whole squad is descending upon the Beehive State and gearing up to get back to work.
Of course, several Jazzmen have been in Utah throughout the summer. To that end, Ingles had a personal one-man welcoming committee in Donovan Mitchell —
“Reunited and it feels so goooood” 🎶
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) September 5, 2018
(Via @spidadmitchell IG) https://t.co/2Iqh020vCV
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In a very literal sense, the 2018-19 Jazz season is upon us. In three weeks, the team will hold its annual media day, which will be followed in short order by training camp.
On September 29, which is now less than one month away, the Jazz will take the floor for their first game of the new year; an exhibition bout with the Perth Wildcats at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The regular season will tip-off just two weeks later against the Sacramento Kings.
In other words, Jinglin’ Joe is finally back and it’s all about to happen. Praise the basketball gods.