Jason Hart grew up in Los Angeles, played college ball in New York, and now his coast-to-coast trek has brought him to Utah. “I started playing basketball when I was six,” Hart said. “My dad played ball in high school and my older brother played college ball at a small division two school.”

As a kid he would go and play at Jesse Owens Park in Los Angeles, replicating the moves that he saw his idol Magic Johnson perform with the Lakers. “I loved Magic.  Back then you were either a Celtics fan or a Lakers fan and I was a Lakers fan.”

When Hart was growing up he picked up the nickname of “Baby J” from his grandfather.
“My grandfather started calling me Baby J, and then my cousin who went to school with me called me it and it sort of spread from there.”

Hart ended up taking the skills that he refined at Owens Park as a boy, and as a freshman standing 5-10, started for the junior varsity team at Inglewood High School, the alma mater of Celtics star Paul Pierce. “The coach moved me up to varsity, but I knew that I wasn’t going to play so I moved back down to JV.”

It would take just one year for Hart to win over the starting job as a sophomore the very next year. He became the starting point guard for his team.  He would lead Inglewood for the next three years and drew the attention of numerous colleges throughout the country including: USC, California, Syracuse and Cincinnati.
           
“I decided to go to Syracuse even though it was across the country because the coach promised me that I would have an opportunity to start and that’s all I wanted.” As a freshman in college Hart began to realize that he might be able to take his game to the next level. “I started to notice the level of the competition around me, and saw where I stood and felt that I could make it to the NBA, which was a dream of mine since I started playing.”

Jim Boeheim, Syracuse’s coach lived up to his promise and let Hart start throughout the year making him the first freshman in Big East history to lead the conference in minutes playing 34.0 mpg, while averaging 9.6 ppg and 3.5 rpg.

Hart continued to improve from his freshman campaign and left Syracuse as the all-time leader in steals with 329, becoming only the fourth Orangemen to record 200 assists in a year. He also finished second all-time in assists with 709.

Hart looks back on his college career and is grateful for the opportunity to play there, and to get his degree in Sociology with a minor in African-American Studies. “If I wasn’t playing in the NBA right now I would probably be coaching high school basketball or doing something with kids.” Hart would tell kids who are trying to pursue their dreams to, “Keep working hard, believe in yourself, and don’t let anybody tell you different.”

After college Hart didn’t make it to the NBA right away, he was drafted 49th by Milwaukee but didn’t stick and then bounced between the CBA, NBDL, and a team in Greece.
           
“In life I have found that when I go through struggles it just makes me stronger and makes me better.  I swore in basketball when I go through a bad year, the next year will be good.  Anytime I struggle in anything I do something good always comes from it.  I never let anyone tell me that I couldn’t make it to the NBA, and I continued to work hard.”
           
The hard work paid off for Hart as he played parts of two seasons with the San Antonio Spurs before moving on to Charlotte for a year. Next he took his game to Sacramento and most recently before joining the Jazz, to Los Angeles to play for the Clippers. “I think the thing that sets me apart is my defense, I feel that I am a natural at it and I work hard at it.”

Coming to a Jerry Sloan coached team, it can’t hurt for Hart to consider defense his forte as the Jazz are well known for working hard on both ends of the floor. “I am grateful for the opportunity to have a job and come in here this year to a good situation with the Jazz.” ~ Mattson Newell