When Utah Jazz fans think of Bryon Russell, the first thing that comes to mind is "the guy who Michael Jordan pushed off in Game 6," but Russell was a valued part of the Karl Malone/John Stockton era. As it turns out, his involvement in that Jazz era puts him in rare NBA company.
It wasn't like Russell was a star, but he was considered a 3&D wing, which was an archetype that wasn't popular back in the 90s and 2000s, but it is now. Russell may not have helped the Jazz win a title, but he played a part in them being in the title conversation.
Because the Jazz set the golden standard for consistent excellence, it turns out that Russell never got swept in the playoffs. Because of this, Russell is one of only 33 players in NBA history who have played in 24 playoff series and has never been swept.
Per HoopsHype, Russell is not only one of the few players who accomplished this feat, was also ranked 20th among the players who have. He played in 24 playoff series over his NBA career, won 13 of them, and has a playoff winning percentage of 50.48% with a record of 53-52.
For the record, after Russell's time with the Jazz ended in 2002, he played for the Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, and Denver Nuggets. He didn't make the playoffs with the Wizards, but did with the Lakers and Nuggets, and neither got swept while he played there.
Russell's prime faded not too long after he left the Jazz, but while this shows something about that Jazz era (and we'll get to that), it also shows that Russell was a winning player. He was a key cog on a title contender. Unfortunately, what he did in nine years with the Jazz got overshadowed by the fact that he was defending perhaps the most famous shot in the history of the NBA.
The only other Jazz alum on this list is Jacque Vaughn, but he's not as noteworthy as Russell.
Russell's unorthodox success is more proof of how dominant the Jazz were
While it's not like Russell was the best player on those Jazz teams, his contributions helped continue the Jazz's success as a team.
The 90s Jazz are remembered for how good they were year in and year out, to the point where they were within inches of winning a title. Those are the days that fans yearn for—not just a title contender but a team that was in the mix for two decades.
Not many teams can say they stayed excellent for basically two decades, but the Jazz can. Currently, the Jazz have a long way to go before reaching that level again. Of course, they will need a franchise player like Cooper Flagg to get there, but they'll also need players who will round out the edges.
In other words, they'll need the Bryon Russells to get them in the convo again.