We think we know why superstars are sitting out of Utah Jazz home games

Are superstars sitting out games in Salt Lake City on purpose? According to a new report from Tom Haberstroh of TomTheFinder.com, yeah. They are. The only accurate response to such a report is simply, "How rude!" And while a 1990s sitcom one-liner may not accurately describe how we feel about this report, it's not exactly inaccurate. Salt Lake City citizens want to see compelling action when opposing teams come to Utah to take on their beloved Jazz.

The tickets aren't exactly cheap, so when it was revealed that about 40% of NBA "superstars" sit out games in Salt Lake City, we were a bit miffed, but also not surprised. However, it may not be for the reasons you think. While Salt Lake City gets a bad rap by those who don't live in the area, it's a nice place to live.

Like all places in the world, it has its highs and lows, but it's largely seen as a great place to live. It's why so many guys who come here end up wanting to stay here. Yet, when visiting superstars come to Utah, it's not the lack of a nightlife that seems to keep them in their chairs during games, but apparently its the elevation. Outside of Denver, Salt Lake City is the highest city that has an NBA team. It's apparently part of the reason why so many stars take the night off, as it's harder to play in the area if you're not used to the effects the altitude has on your body.

Need more of a reason for that hypothesis? Denver is the number two city and franchise with the most superstar DNPs and the highest city in the NBA. Now, this is where the altitude argument gets a caveat. With Denver featuring the best player in the NBA right now, Nikola Jokic, and the fact that they're the defending NBA Champions, it makes sense that more superstars want to test themselves against Jokic and company, as opposed to the Jazz, who don't have that featured superstar that moves the rating needle.