The Utah Jazz are set to have the spotlight on them for their first matchup of the season vs. the Los Angeles Lakers in Crypto.com Arena for a game that’ll mark LeBron James’ official season debut for year 23 in the NBA, missing nearly the first month of the season with sciatica.
It’s primed to be a contest that, for the Jazz, will have a ton of eyes watching. Anytime LeBron is on the floor in Los Angeles, there’s always bound to be some solid buzz in the arena, but for his first game of the year after an extended absence, that hype becomes multiplied.
Will Hardy Preparing Jazz for the Moment vs. Lakers
Feb 10, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) and forward LeBron James (23) on the court in the first half against the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
So for Jazz head coach Will Hardy, he’s preparing his guys for the moment––not just through scouting just how the Lakers will be operating on the floor, but also setting the scene for how the energy will be around an antsy Los Angeles crowd.
“Stylistically, obviously, those two guys are two of the best decision-makers we’ve seen in the NBA. It does give JJ [Redick] and their group a broad range of things they can go to,” Hardy said ahead of facing the Lakers..”In theory, you could have the whole game where one of them is on the court. But with our group, it’s way more about the moment, the energy in the building.”
“You know, we were here last year for Luka’s first game, and there’s very clearly a buzz in the building. I don’t care how much you try to say to your team, ‘Hey, this is just another game. Hey, these are just guys in the NBA,’ like LeBron James is LeBron James. And so, we’ve got really young players that are in our rotation, and so it’s more about their mindset of how to approach the emotion of the game. just as much as the tactical part,”
“Assuming [LeBron] plays, there will be a buzz in the building. He does have a presence about him on the court, and so I just want our group to stay focused on how we play, the things that we want to do. and kind of let the rest of it fade away.”
More than anything for this young Jazz roster, facing off against a talented group like the Lakers, held with LeBron and Luka, is a valuable experience to be had, but that experience becomes even better if Utah is able to walk away with a win on the road.
The Jazz and Lakers will be set to tip off at 8:30 p.m. MT, where Utah will attempt to rattle off a second-straight victory for win number six on the season.
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