There’s just one player representing the Utah Jazz at this year’s All-Star Weekend: second-year point guard Keyonte George.
The good news: he’ll play in two events in the league’s showcase. George, for the second time in his young career, took part in Friday’s Rising Stars competition, playing for “Team C,” drafted by NBA Hall of Famer Chris Mullin. And the Jazz’s 21-year-old guard from Baylor, along with San Antonio guard and Rising Stars MVP Stephon Castle, pushed Team C to victory on the night, scoring 13 points across the two games, adding three assists.
George hit the game-winning 3-point shot in Friday’s championship game.
The result means that his Team C will play on All-Star Sunday, in the game’s new tournament format. George and teammates will play against three other teams of the league’s actual All-Stars, drafted by TNT hosts Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley, in a small tournament to decide the winner of the night.
The competition was George’s third game in three days, having played over 30 minutes in both the Jazz’s win against the Lakers on Wednesday and their overtime loss against the Clippers on Thursday.
The performances in the Jazz’s final two games before the break were characteristic of George’s season so far: up and down. In the game against the Lakers, George shined, garnering 20 points and 10 assists on high-efficiency shooting. Against the Clippers, George’s shot wasn’t as favorable, he ended up with four assists, and ultimately couldn’t get off a game-tying attempt at the buzzer in regulation.
While George’s NBA resume earned him an invite to the game, the inconsistency has meant George has found himself outside of the starting lineup for now. In particular, Jazz head coach Will Hardy is asking for more from him on the defensive end of the floor.
“He’s in his second year, and because of the makeup of our team, he’s gotten to play a lot. Sometimes, that can lead to certain areas slipping,” Hardy said. “Keyonte is a basketball junkie. He watches it, he studies it, he loves it. He works really, really hard, both in the weight room and on the court, and this was just about trying to put him in a position where he could refocus on the things that are most important to him right now.”
After Friday’s game, George said he plans on doing a couple of promotional events with exercise company Peloton and sports trading card company Panini. Then, he’ll take a couple of days — “somewhere warm,” he said — to refocus mentally for the season’s final 28 games.
In between: one more shot at the league’s best on Sunday.
“Being a part of All-Star Weekend is a big-time blessing,“ George said. ”Not a lot of people get that opportunity, so I’ve got to understand what that means and not take it for granted.”
