The loudest jerseys around FedExForum on Wednesday night didn’t belong to the current Memphis Grizzlies.
They belonged to Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson.
And for Jackson, the season opener against the Utah Jazz came with a very familiar feel. It was his first time actually playing against his old team since he was traded from Memphis to Utah last season, and plenty of fans treated the night like a reunion instead of a regular opener.
There was no shortage of Jackson support in the building. Fans showed up in all kinds of his gear, from Grizzlies blue to old-school teal and even red. When he was introduced in the starting lineup, the reaction was loud and warm, followed by a standing ovation.
For some fans, the choice of who to pull for was complicated. Jackson had become one of the city’s favorite young stars, and that loyalty carried over even after the trade.
“I’m not rooting for the Jazz, but we are rooting for Jaren,” a young fan named Andy Malml told The Salt Lake Tribune.
That feeling stretched well beyond one fan. Zuleyma Barreto, a 33-year-old woman who worked on Jackson’s house staff when he lived in Memphis, said she met with him on Tuesday and still feels a deep connection to him and his family.
“He’s a very special person to me and my family,” Barreto said. “Him and his mother have opened doors for me; they are very welcoming and treat everyone with respect. That’s what we love about him.
“We love Jaren … we’re happy to have him back."
The night carried another emotional layer for Jackson, too. The Grizzlies paid tribute to Brandon Clarke, who died in May and had been a close friend and former teammate of Jackson.
“It’s tough,” Jackson said. “That’s my brother forever.
He had a great impact on the community here. It’s always going to be tough.
Just carry it differently. Great video, though.
Great memory. He’s my dog, who’s forever watching us.”
When the basketball got going, though, the ending belonged to Memphis. Jackson’s numbers were respectable - 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting - but the game never quite clicked for him. He fouled out after 28 minutes and finished with five turnovers as the Jazz fell 123-103.
Jackson wasn’t trying to dress it up afterward. The emotions were real, but so was the disappointment.
“I’m always going to have some emotions when you come back to a place - you have memories for sure,” Jackson said. “I had a job to do and didn’t execute that. Got to go home and regroup.”
On paper, he was playing in a new city. In the moment, it still felt a lot like home. For one night, Jackson was back where his career started, getting cheered by a crowd that still clearly sees him as one of their own.
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Jazz Opening Night Exposed A Problem Fans Knew Was Coming
Opening night in Salt Lake City gave the Jazz a blunt reminder of how far they still have to go, and not just because the scoreboard ended up at 123-103. Utah had enough individual flashes to keep the game from slipping into total obscurity, with Keyonte George leading the way with 22 points and rookie Darryn Peterson making his first start while logging 31 minutes and scoring 9. Jaren Jackson also made his return to Memphis, though the night ended early for him after fouling out in 28 minutes.
Even so, the bigger story was how easily Memphis controlled the games pace and physicality, which is exactly the sort of issue Jazz fans feared could show up right away. A team trying to build a new identity can survive off stretches of shot-making, but only if the rest of the game travels with it, and Utah never really found that balance in the opener. The concern now is whether this was just a rough first step or a preview of the problems that will keep showing up if the Jazz cannot tighten the details around their young core. [Read more 🡒]
Jazz Already Have A Frontcourt Problem They Couldn't Hide
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Nurkic is expected to be out for a few weeks, and that puts even more pressure on Utah to patch together a workable answer inside. The Grizzlies exposed how vulnerable the Jazz can look when they cannot finish possessions or keep second chances from piling up, and it is the kind of issue that can linger beyond one loss if the rotation does not adjust quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Walker Kessler's Lakers Breakout Changes How Jazz Fans Will See This
Walker Kesslers first night in a Lakers uniform gave Jazz fans a jolt, even if only for a little while. The former Utah center looked completely at home in a new setting, finishing with 26 points, nine rebounds and two blocks while not missing a shot, the kind of debut that instantly makes people rethink what a player can look like when the right fit arrives at the right time.
The larger backdrop is what makes this story matter in Utah. Kessler had planned to take the qualifying offer so he could reach restricted free agency in 2027, a timeline that played into the Jazzs choice not to extend him, and his move also came with a clear basketball rationale: a chance to line up next to Luka Doncic and benefit from a playmaker who can feed bigs in space. For Jazz followers, the intrigue is less about the box score than what it says about how Kesslers next chapter was always going to be shaped. [Read more 🡒]