UTAH JAZZ

Monty Python’s John Cleese Cheers On Utah Jazz In Matchup Against Suns

Apr 7, 2021, 9:11 PM

John Cleese...

John Cleese attends the 23rd annual German Comedy Awards at Studio in Köln Mühlheim on October 02, 2019 in Cologne, Germany. (Photo by Joshua Sammer/Getty Images)

(Photo by Joshua Sammer/Getty Images)

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Actor and comedian John Cleese showed up to cheer on the Utah Jazz in their game against the Phoenix Suns.

The Suns hosted the Jazz at Phoenix Suns Arena on Wednesday, April 7.

On game day, the Monty Python actor discussed his Jazz fandom during the Suns’ broadcast.

Two days before the contest, Cleese tweeted that he’d like to attend the game in Phoenix with his daughter.

Cleese said he was able to purchase and would be cheering on the Jazz in Arizona.

“Thanks to all who gave me advice about the Jazz,” Cleese posted. “But I’d made a mistake ! I assumed that with limited capacity and the two best teams playing, all the tickets would have long gone. Not so ! So I BOUGHT two tickets Sorry.”

Prior to tip-off, Cleese said that he’d be looking for “riffs from Rudy and Joe.”

John Cleese: Long-time Jazz Fan

On Valentine’s Day, Cleese’s fandom became a topic of conversation for Jazz Nation.

The actor had a series of exchanges with the Jazz Twitter page where he expressed his support for the team.

Cleese, who has over 5.7 million followers on the site began the interaction by proclaiming his love for the team in his typical absurdist fashion.

After criticizing the United States political system and impeachment trial against former president Donald Trump, Cleese acknowledged his love for the Jazz.

The tweet received over 300 retweets and 3000 likes before Cleese doubled-down his adoration for the team in later posts.

Allan Broce, a former executive at ESPN tweeted at Cleese, pointing out the Jazz team-first approach to basketball.

The BAFTA Award winner proved his above-average knowledge of the team by mentioning the Jazz recent win over the Milwaukee Bucks when four players on the roster scored at least 25 points in the game.

The interactions eventually found their way to the Jazz official Twitter account which reached out to Cleese during his celebration of the franchise.

In honor of the holiday weekend, the account asked Cleese if he’d consider being their valentine, an invitation he gladly accepted.

“Yes!” Cleese tweeted. “I love you all to Venus and back.”

It’s fitting that Cleese’s love for the Jazz has once again taken center stage as the team owns the best record in the NBA.

The legendary actor first found his fondness for the Jazz the last time they held one of the league’s best rosters. With Cleese’s daughter living in Chicago in the late 1990s, Cleese began to root for the Jazz in their Finals matchups against the Chicago Bulls to take a contrarian stance against his daughter.

Cleese revealed the origin story of his interest in the team in 2017.

“We used to watch together that great series when the [Bulls] beat the Jazz,” Cleese said. “She was supporting the Bulls, and I thought I’d support the Jazz to make it more interesting.”

While appearing at FanX at the Salt Palace Convention center in 2019, the actor said he’s also a fan of the team’s Monty Pythonesque name.

“I love silly names,” Cleese told fans. “And there has never, ever been a sillier name than the Utah Jazz.”

Regardless of Cleese’s sardonic approach to his fanship, the team appeared to appreciate his support.

After accepting their Valentine’s Day invitation, the Jazz responded to the star with a puppy dog eyed emoji, showing their adoration for the comedy genius.

Utah’s game against Phoenix is broadcast on ESPN, AT&T SportsNet, and 97.5 FM.

  • Utah Jazz Scoreboard

  • Utah Jazz Team Leaders

  • Utah Jazz Standings

Utah Jazz

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) smiles while he and Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton (2)...

Ben Anderson

Jazz Open December Road Gauntlet Against Thunder

The Utah Jazz will begin a difficult stretch of road games on Tuesday night when they travel to face the Oklahoma City Thunder.

5 hours ago

Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton (2) drives past Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) for a la...

Ben Anderson

Late Timeout Costs Jazz Win Against Lakers

Collin Sexton appeared to have made the game-winning layup, but a late time out cost the Utah Jazz against the Los Angeles Lakers.

1 day ago

lauri markkanen anthony davis...

Tanner Tripp

Lauri Markkanen Blows Past Anthony Davis For Reverse Dunk

The Utah Jazz went into the halftime break trailing the Los Angeles Lakers by only two points on the back of strong first-half performances from John Collins and Lauri Markkanen.

1 day ago

collin sexton lebron james...

Tanner Tripp

Collin Sexton Freezes LeBron James With Fake Pass For Open Layup

Even with the imposing presence of the NBA's all-time leading scorer, Colling Sexton showed no fear as he froze LeBron James on his way to the basket.

1 day ago

jazz lakers...

Tanner Tripp

A Failed Final Possession For Jazz Stunts Comeback Against Lakers

The Utah Jazz took on Lebron James, Anthony Davis, and the Los Angeles Lakers in the back end of a weekend back-to-back. Sunday was Utah's last game at Delta Center before an extended December road trip. After the Lakers, the Jazz will not play at home again until December 28.

1 day ago

LeBron-James-Los-Angeles-Lakers-NBA...

Ben Anderson

LeBron James, Lakers Set To Face Jazz In Utah

The Utah Jazz will host LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night at Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

1 day ago

Sponsored Articles

salt lake county player of the week...

Salt Lake County High School Player of the Week – Week 15

SALT LAKE CITY – The Hercules Salt Lake County High School Player of the Week is celebrating the best high school football player in Salt Lake County. Presented by Hercules First Federal Credit Union, each week we honor athletes for their exceptional performance on the gridiron. Our co-winners this week were Esun Tafa and Cooper Kingston from […]

...

Utah County High School Player of the Week – Week 15

SALT LAKE CITY – The Mr. Mac Utah County High School Player of the Week is awarded each week to the top prep football players in Utah County. Sponsored by Mr. Mac, it honors athletes for their performances on the gridiron and exceptional play. Our co-winners this week were Aaron Dunn from Spanish Fork High School and […]

Rice-Eccles Stadium...

Crimson Cliffs Completes Epic Comeback To Win 4A State Championship

Crimson Cliffs needed the largest comeback in Utah state history to knock off the Spanish Fork Dons 57-55 in triple overtime.

corner canyon football celebrates win over lehi...

Corner Canyon Comes From Behind To Win 6A State Championship

The Corner Canyon Chargers fell behind early but didn't panic, scoring 23 straight points to beat Lone Peak 30-27.

Siaki Fekitoa...

Siaki Fekitoa’s Four TDs Lead Bountiful To 5A State Championship

Title Thursday started on a high note with a fireworks-filled offensive show as Bountiful held on to beat Roy 42-35.

...

Northern Utah High School Player of the Week – Week 14

SALT LAKE CITY – The John Watson Northern Utah High School Player of the Week is celebrating the best high school football player in Northern Utah. Presented by John Watson Chevrolet in Ogden, each week we honor athletes for their exceptional performance on the gridiron. Our co-winners of the week were Beck Sheffield from Morgan High School […]

Monty Python’s John Cleese Cheers On Utah Jazz In Matchup Against Suns