Jazz Rookie Keyonte George Grateful For Family, Hometown Support
Jul 3, 2023, 2:32 PM | Updated: Jul 12, 2023, 2:17 pm
SALT LAKE CITY – Keyonte George is set to make his NBA dream come true Monday in the Salt Lake City Summer League and is grateful for the support system that’s allowed him to land with the Utah Jazz.
George sat down with KSL Sports Jeremiah Jensen to discuss beginning his professional career with the Jazz, and what it took to get him to this point.
“There’s a lot of kids out there that don’t get to go through this process let alone not have that family support,” George said. “To have them stick with it — I know there’s been days where they wanted to kick my head off — but it’s just fun to make it to this point.”
Keyonte George has dropped 25 lbs and said he's seeing the benefits as a member of the @utahjazz.
“I’m playing above the rim, I’m able to get higher now, the change of weight will be good for me.” #TakeNote https://t.co/hhsSTmTX9B
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) June 30, 2023
Jazz Rookie George Hasn’t Forgotten Lewisville
The Jazz selected George with the 16th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft after a standout season at Baylor.
The freshman averaged 15.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists during his lone college season before declaring for the draft.
“They knew what my ultimate goal was at the end of the day,” George said of his family, “they did whatever they could to make sure I achieved it.
George will be the only first round pick by the Jazz to suit up on Monday night after Taylor Hendricks and Brice Sensabaugh were ruled out with injuries.
Keyonte George will be the @utahjazz only first round pick in uniform tonight against the @okcthunder. #TakeNote https://t.co/BVWMUaiWoi
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) July 3, 2023
While Hendricks and Sensabaugh grew up playing near one another in Florida, George grew up in Texas before attending the IMG Academy for his senior season.
Though George now calls Utah home, he hasn’t forgotten his Texas roots.
“The city of Lewisville — not a lot of people have been able to go through this, make it to his point in their carer from back home,” George recognized. “So I have my family support, but I’ve got a city behind me, so I carry that with me very well, I understand I’m playing for something bigger than myself.”
Catch George’s full interview, including his expectations for his rookie season in the player above.
Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops or on Instagram @BensHoops.
