The Utah Jazz got a shoutout from an alum. Mo Williams, who started his NBA career with the Jazz, shouted out the team via his X account, going as far as calling them a first-class organization. Utah even left such a strong impression that he apparently came out to the Summer League in Salt Lake City.
Utah Jazz is a 1st class organization. I enjoyed the few days at Utah summer league
— Mo Williams (@mowilliams) July 11, 2024
The Jazz selected Williams in the second round of the 2003 NBA Draft, being picked with the No. 47 pick. He spent one season with the Jazz, where he averaged five points a game while shooting 38% from the field and 25.6% from three in 57 games.
The Bucks signed Williams as a restricted free agent that summer, which the Jazz did not match. Williams went on to become an All-Star as time went on when he joined LeBron James in Cleveland in 2008. After LeBron James left Cleveland in 2010, Williams reunited with the Jazz two years later in 2012.
In his second and last season with the Jazz, Williams averaged 12.9 points and 6.2 assists while shooting 43% from the field and 38.3% from three in 46 games. The Jazz went 43-39 that season, but they missed the postseason in 2013.
The Jazz started over that offseason, letting Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson leave in free agency. Hence, Williams also bolted that same summer. However, Williams is one of the few NBA players who can say they left the game on top.
Mo Williams won a title in his last NBA season
The Jazz weren't the only team Williams had multiple stints with. He also made another stop in Cleveland in what would be his last stop as an NBA player. Williams signed with the Cavaliers in 2015. Approaching his mid-30s, Williams didn't have nearly the same role that he did in his first go-round.
Williams and the Cavaliers won the title in 2016, to which Williams would then retire from the NBA the following summer. Even though he was involved in multiple transactions, Williams left the game on top.
Even if his time in Utah was brief, Williams clearly treasured it. He became a diamond in the rough in the NBA, which other former Jazz players like Dante Exum have become since their time with the Jazz ended. There's no telling how much the Jazz themselves had to do with his successful career.
It's cool to hear a former Jazzman and NBA champion shout out his former team, even if his success in the NBA didn't have much to do with them.