Bojan Bogdanovic is going to win over Utah Jazz fans quickly
Due to his style and personality both on and off the court, Bojan Bogdanovic is sure to win over Utah Jazz fans extremely quickly.
The Utah Jazz’s play on Saturday against the Sacramento Kings was a breath of fresh air after a disheartening loss to the Los Angeles Lakers one night prior on national TV. One day removed from a clunky, disjointed effort, the Jazz looked like a nearly completely different team as the offense fired on all cylinders and the Salt Lake City squad marched to an easy victory that was essentially over by halftime.
One major difference between the two games was obviously the opponent. The Kings are off to a slow start, are (in my opinion) questionably coached and are a young team still searching for an identity. Contrast that to the Lakers that have two superstars in LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and there’s no debating which was the tougher foe to face.
The other significant difference, though, and the one I’d like to highlight here was that Saturday featured the return of Bojan Bogdanovic who had missed the game in LA with a sprained ankle. In his return to action, Bogey was prolific from the opening tip, relentlessly attacking the paint and getting easy looks, including an early and-one that set the tone for him in a big way, and spotting up for splashed threes with ease.
In all, Bojan finished with a game-high 26 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field and 5-of-9 shooting from deep. 23 of those 26 points came in the first half which is when the majority of Bojan’s playing time occurred. He logged a meager 24 minutes in the bout, which was really all he or the Jazz needed after getting off to such a commanding start.
Had it been necessary that he play longer, he probably would have done even more damage considering how hot he had been all game long.
But beyond the solid outing versus Sacramento which helped the Jazz look much better than they had previously, Bojan Bogdanovic finds himself quickly ascending the ranks of Jazz fan favorites for a number of other reasons as well. The first came in Utah’s home opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder. After tweaking his ankle in what looked like it could be a potentially serious injury, Bojan walked it off in the locker room and returned to play through the pain in the second half.
Bogdanovic credited the atmosphere created by the home Utah fans for inspiring him to make a return. And his play was vital. A late three gave the Jazz a key lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder which eventually led to a narrow 100-95 victory.
The fact that Bogdanovic was willing to put his neck on the line and come back to play through the injury was a credit to his toughness, determination and passion, something which Jazz fans always have admired and will certainly continue to do so with Bojan.
Beyond that, in Bogey’s stellar performance against the Kings, his emotions were high as he enjoyed his best game in a Jazz uniform. He could be seen fist-pumping and shouting animatedly with clutch shot after clutch shot. At one point after draining a deep three, Bogdanovic backpedaled down the court with high knees, arms swinging and fingers pointing in a hilarious showing, much to the enjoyment of the Jazz announcers and fans watching.
You can catch it for yourself below:
After the game, Bogdanovic was asked about his dance celebration, to which he responded, “When you’re hot, you don’t even know what you’re doing.” It was a hilarious response to a great moment.
That statement was proceeded by Bogey receiving his inaugural water bottle celebration courtesy of Donovan Mitchell. Last season, whenever a player had a big game and was lining up for their post-game interview with Jazz sideline reporter Kristen Kenney, Donovan Mitchell would be sure to spray them with a water bottle in jovial celebration.
His teammates, most notably former Jazzman Derrick Favors, would often then seek revenge, so Donovan found himself on the receiving end of the gesture several times as well. Based on what Bogdanovic said next, he’ll likely be looking to give Mitchell similar treatment.
Simply put, Bogdanovic stated that Mitchell is going to be doing a lot more post-game interviews than himself, so he’ll plan to get Donovan back. It was a perfect reply to Mitchell’s antics wherein Bogey was clearly initiated into the fold of a team that has long been reputed as tight-knit.
And his post-game comments in and of themselves were evidence of a big reason why Bogey is certain to win over Jazz fans quickly. His personality is naturally unassuming, but he possesses a sharp wit and a hilarious sense of humor, punctuated by his unabashed honesty in his responses. Not to mention, he’s absolutely passionate about the game of basketball and it’s evident in all he says and does. He’s a joy to watch on the court and an excellent teammate of high character in the locker room.
Combine that with the fact that he is a tireless worker, an unselfish player and a renowned sharpshooter that, if Saturday’s win is any indication, could revolutionize Utah’s formerly clunky offense, and all signs are pointing towards him being an exceptional fit in SLC. All of those traits are ones that come high on the lists of Jazz fans, and three games into the season, Bogdanovic has done everything they could hope.
Between his on-court talents and his off-court demeanor, Bojan Bogdanovic is certain to become a fan favorite in Utah. He’s already well on his way to winning over the admiration of an entire fanbase quite quickly.
