5 former Utah Jazz players we’d love to see in a BIG3 quarantine

Jamaal Tinsley

Jamaal Tinsley was never a standout, All-Star player, but he managed to carve out a role as a reliable starter or backup option for 11 NBA seasons. His final three years were with the Utah Jazz, and he had some memorable highlights.

The 42 year old owns career averages of 8.5 points and 6.1 assists. The numbers won’t jump out at you, but Tinsley was a really good player.

Before he made it to the NBA, Tinsley spent a lot of time playing streetball at Rucker Park in New York. His nickname was “Mel Mel The Abuser” and he made a lot of defenders look like fools when he bounced it between their legs, went behind his back or faked a pass so hard it had the entire defense reeling.

Tinsley is a streetball legend, and you could see that style of his game in the NBA. He was flashy, super fun to watch and cocky. He played for the Indiana Pacers, Memphis Grizzlies and Utah Jazz during his NBA career.

How fun would it be to see Tinsley in the BIG3? I know he’s still got some game left, and I know that he will still make defenders look silly. On the court, he’ll draw fans attention with his electric play and off the court, it’d be fun to catch up with him and see how he’s doing these days.

Tinsley announced his retirement from the NBA over a year ago, and it’s unclear if he’d even have any interest in playing in a tournament like this, but one thing is certain — I’d bring the popcorn once he’s on the court. Tinsley was so much fun.