Jazz fans reacting to the Trevor Booker retirement the way they have tells you so much about the fan base. They have great appreciation for a guy that came off the bench for 2 years, averaged 6 points a game, was never going to win any individual award, never make

an all star game or ever have his number retired by a team in the league and fans knew that he probably wasn’t going to be with the team for the long haul. They appreciated him like crazy because he played with the kind of fire, passion & pride that fans want to see

when they pay their money or take the time to watch. He was also very appreciative of the fans for their support and it mattered to him that he lived up to his end of the bargain. Of course Jazz fans know how limited he was and that this was never going to be a key piece of a

special team in the future, but they still appreciate the good that he did bring to a team that they care so deeply about. They recognize that he was a key part of the mindset shift that took place in the first two years that Quin Snyder was head coach.

Fans could see that even though they were not a playoff team, things were changing in a positive direction and he was a reason why.
Darrell Griffith never made an all star game and never even played in a conference final, but when I introduced him to the crowd

at VSHA, you would have thought that he played a major role in a championship dynasty and that he was a first ballot hall of famer with the way that crowd reacted. Clearly the fans know the difference between Karl Malone and Antoine Carr, but when you’re all in one big family…

the feelings of appreciation and admiration are the same. Stockton and Malone will always have the statues, but what makes the Jazz family so great is when you think of the love towards guys like Mike Brown, Blue Edwards, David Benoit, Billy Paultz, Jeff Malone, Howard Eisley,

Sundiata Gaines,Thurl Bailey,Adam Keefe,Chris Morris, Jae Crowder,Wesley Matthews,Ronnie Brewer, Greg Foster, Tom Chambers, Derrick Favors and so many more. Jazz fans will hang on to a random & 1 that made them go crazy against Portland in a game over 10 yrs ago on Jan 9th.

When a player cares about winning and cares about the support they get from this fan base, they become a part of the family instantly. It doesn’t matter if that player is on a 10 day like Sundiata Gaines, an undrafted FA like Wesley Matthews or is a future hall of famer.

Wait 15 years and hear what it sounds like in the arena when Ricky Rubio or Joe Ingles stops by for a game.

Trust me, not every fan base has this, I've been blessed to be around it and it's really special.