Copyright Salt Lake City Deseret News
The sound of heavy machinery in reverse interrupted Smith Entertainment Group’s outdoor press conference on Tuesday morning. They’ve already begun preliminary construction work on the new Utah Jazz practice facility, the announcement of which was the purpose of the gathering. The facility is connected to the new Utah Mammoth Practice and Training Facility at The Shops at South Town mall in Sandy. Every player from both the Jazz and the Mammoth was in attendance because the idea is that the two teams achieve a degree of unity and cooperation. “This building is going to represent a shared vision between our two groups,” said Jazz coach Will Hardy. “We’re both trying to meet elite standards every single day, and being side by side is the kind of competitive environment that’s going to push everybody to be better and is going to elevate both groups.” Ashley Smith said some of her favorite moments growing up were the spur-of-the-moment activities that happened because everyone was together. She hopes that this facility will offer those opportunities within and between the two teams. The building will feature two basketball courts, a team locker room, state-of-the-art workout and training spaces, a performance kitchen and a number of other amenities. It will also serve as SEG’s headquarters, whereas the employees are currently spread out between the two teams’ existing practice facilities. Austin Ainge, president of basketball operations for the Jazz, said they’re also leaving extra, undesignated space for growth. Ryan Smith envisions it as a campus, rather than just a building. He said the closest comparison to it is Real Madrid’s facility, which he recently toured. “These guys spend three hours a night at the arena, (41) nights a year. They’re in ‘the lab’ every day, all day,” he said. “I think that’s really important that they get the best of both worlds and they can spread out.” It won’t be constructed as quickly as the Mammoth’s facility, largely because there’s no need to rush. The Jazz already have the Zions Bank Basketball Campus close to downtown Salt Lake. They haven’t officially decided how they’ll repurpose the old facility, but Ryan Smith did mention that the Salt Lake City Stars G-League team could use it. He also mentioned that SEG doesn’t own that building, so it’s possible that they let it go. Hardy ended his remarks with a message to his players. “It’s time to get to work,” he said. “(The people of Utah are) showing their support for us every single day. It’s time that we meet them halfway.”
