The Utah Jazz may not be the most dominant of franchises in the NBA; however, they might just have one of the best fan bases out there, even though there hasn't been much to cheer about so far in their history in terms of titles.
The fans always make sure that players who come to Utah have a sense of belonging and don't forget their time there.
Loyal fan base
The Jazz relocated from New Orleans to Utah in 1979. The franchise did have a couple of promising years, making the NBA Finals back-to-back in 1997 and 1998. Perhaps without the dominant Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in their way, Utah would have won a couple of championships.
However, the Jazz faithful certainly know how to stay positive and back their players through thick and thin. The franchise hero Andrei Kirikenko , who was arguably the face of Utah for ten seasons, knows that for a fact.
"The fan base is amazing, and they are crazy about the team; they are always hostile for the opponents; they are always very supportive for the home team," Kirilenko said of Jazz fans. "And what I like is that everybody is very positive, which is very strange for me because I came from an environment where when you lose the game, there's a lot of criticism; when you win the game, there's a lot of praise. And in Utah, when you lose the game but you work hard, you fight hard, they like, 'Don't worry, there's another game coming. We're on your side.'"
Drafted with the No. 24 overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, Utah selected the first-ever Russian to be drafted in the first round. However, he didn't enter the NBA until 2001, when he signed a rookie-scale contract. He played in the Russian league and won the MVP before transitioning into the Association.
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A legend in Utah
Just two years into his NBA career, "AK-47" quickly became the biggest name in Utah, especially after Karl Malone left and John Stockton retired. In the 2003-04 season, he led the franchise in virtually every major stat category — points, rebounds, steals, blocks, three-pointers, and free throws.
Known for his superstar-caliber offense, he also had fine offensive chops, as the Russian big man once blocked two-time scoring champion Kobe Bryant four times in 90 seconds.
In the 2005-06 season, he finished with the most total blocks in the league and had a game where he recorded a career-high ten swats against the Indiana Pacers.
Kirilenko brought his defensive prowess into the NBA and embodied Utah basketball's tough, rigid, no-nonsense defending style, which is why he became a fan favorite.
"They appreciate when you fight, when you grind, when you give it all; that's always been Utah style, always scrappy, always grinding; it's always tough to play against the Jazz," AK-47 added.
Throughout his ten-year stint at Utah, the four-time Russian Player of the Year had a connection with the fans, something he always appreciated even after he retired.
Related: “The most famous machine gun. You have to pick 47” - Andrei Kirilenko on the origin of his memorable ‘AK-47’ nickname
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