Utah Jazz history: Top 5 players whose numbers aren’t retired
The Utah Jazz have retired seven numbers. Besides them, who are the best Jazz players of all time? There are a lot of former players to choose from. Here’s who made it.
When the NBA season was suspended, I started brainstorming some ideas for articles and my first thoughts drifted towards making an all-time list, ranking the top players that have worn a Utah Jazz jersey.
However, I quickly realized that list has been written out numerous times already. I wanted to do something new. That’s when I thought of a similar idea with a slight twist: A list of the best Jazz players whose numbers aren’t enshrined inside Vivint Smart Home Arena.
When deciding who to add, my criteria was simple:
- No players with retired numbers allowed
- Only their Jazz tenure matters, not their entire career
Let’s begin.
5. Mehmet Okur
The moneyman.
In his seven years in Utah, Mehmet “Memo” Okur earned a reputation for hitting game-changing timely three point shots. The six-foot-eleven Turk had the ability to stretch the floor offensively, a trait truly before it’s time.
His best season was the 2006-07 campaign, where he averaged 17.6 points and shot a team-leading 4.2 threes a game. Thanks to a stretch of clutch performances and injuries to a few yearly shoo-ins, Okur was named an All-Star replacement reserve by late commissioner David Stern, playing for the West in 2007.
Memo’s unique skill set has him living all over Utah’s all-time lists. He ranks seventh in made field goals, eighth in three-point attempts and free throw makes, ninth in defensive rebounds, and tenth in total points and win shares (45.0).