JP Chunga

Qualifying for the Paris Olympics was priority number one for the Canadian National Team at this World Cup. And they accomplished it.

As the Captain, Kelly Olynyk was a major piece to the Canadian cause. He averaged 10.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists en route to the bronze medal. 

“He doesn’t mind the contact, and there’s contact in FIBA,” Sportsnet’s Dan Shulman said. “He can shoot the ball - that helps in FIBA. You can run offense through him. He’s a very good FIBA player and he played a lot of important minutes for Canada.”

Catch Dan Shulman on Roundball Roundup on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Stitcher.

Roundball Roundup is presented by First Colony Mortgage, the official mortgage lender of the Utah Jazz.

roundball-roundup-kelly-olympics-with-dan-shulman

Roundball Roundup: Kelly Olympics with Dan Shulman

Jazz assistant coach Sean Sheldon met Lassi Tuovi in January of 2023. He could have never known then that the two would be working together on the Finnish National Team nine months later.

Tuovi oversaw Lauri Markkanen's breakout in last year's Eurobasket. Markkanen averaged 27.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in a breakout tournament for the Susijengi.

His 2022 Eurobasket spring boarded a Most Improved Player award-wining season with the Jazz. He worked with Sheldon, shooting threes with Utah's big men after practice. It's that relationship that landed the Jazz assistant in Japan for the FIBA World Cup.

"As the season got close to ending, Lauri had mentioned it to me if it was something that’d I’d be interested in to come over with the national team as an assistant coach," Sheldon explained. "I talked to him about it a little bit, and then I talked to Coach Hardy and Justin Zanik about it as well. Then we all talked about it with the Finnish Federation, and fortunately, it worked out."

Sheldon joined Tuovi's staff in Finland after the two worked together at Summer League.

Catch Sean Sheldon on Roundball Roundup on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Stitcher.

roundball-roundup-fiba-world-cup-with-sean-sheldon

Roundball Roundup: FIBA World Cup with Sean Sheldon

Dwyane Wade and Holly Rowe are immortalized in the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. They joined an illustrious class that includes Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Gregg Popovich, Becky Hammon, among others.

JP Chunga completed an audio travel journal as he watched Holly and Dwyane enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Catch JP on Roundball Roundup on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Stitcher.

roundball-roundup-wade-and-rowe-are-basketball-hall-of-famers

Roundball Roundup: Wade and Rowe are Basketball Hall of Famers

The call came when he was on the practice floor. Walker Kessler would join USA Basketball for the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

"JZ [Just Zanik] comes on the court and says, ‘Walker, stop! I need you to take this call.'" Kessler continued, "He said, 'It’s coach. It’s Coach Will Hardy.' I was like, ‘Oh, okay.’ So I took the phone. And Coach was like, ‘Hey bud, what you doing?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m working out Coach.’ ‘Well I just wanted to say congrats on making the USA Team.’ And I was like, ‘Oh!’ I was definitely kind of speechless and they voiced their congrats and here I am."

Catch Walker Kessler on Roundball Roundup on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Stitcher.

roundball-roundup-walker-kessler-details-his-usa-training-camp-experience

Roundball Roundup: Walker Kessler details his USA Training Camp experience

2023 was a wash for Omer Yurtseven. He played in just nine games for the Miami Heat after recovering from an ankle injury.

Yurtseven joins the Utah Jazz in search of a fresh start. He explained the decision to JP Chunga on Roundball Roundup.

“I think more than anything it’s whatever you make it,” the seven-footer said. “The only thing I’ll focus on is listening and staying malleable, but also being aggressive. I think those things - like energy and effort - those kind of things can solve a lot of the problems and being able to focus on that is going to be a priority.”

Catch Omer Yurtseven on Roundball Roundup on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Stitcher.

roundball-roundup-omer-yurtseven-on-joining-the-jazz

Roundball Roundup: Omer Yurtseven on joining the Jazz

According to ESPN’s Seth Greenberg, don’t put all your stock in Summer League. Some of these players won’t necessarily be making the league.

And still, it’s the first training ground for many newly minted professionals, such as Utah’s Keyonte George. The Baylor product earned First Team All-Summer League for his efforts. 

“Keyonte George was the same guy in Summer League that he was, in terms of potentially, all season long,” Greenberg explained. “Look he’s a big, physical guard. I think the one thing people didn’t realize about him. He’s a very good passer. He’s got a very good feel to see plays early…what I saw of him during the Summer League was basically what I saw of him when I watched him practice with the Baylor team. I think he’s a really special talent."

Catch Seth Greenberg on Roundball Roundup on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Stitcher.

roundball-roundup-seth-greenberg-recaps-summer-league

Roundball Roundup: Seth Greenberg recaps Summer League

Collin Sexton remembers his first summer league. He played so well that he earned NBA Summer League First Team honors.

“It was one of those things that it was just happening so fast,” Sexton recalled. “I had to understand that the game is a lot faster than in practice.”

Sexton sees the journey for the summer league Jazz and appreciates the work.&nbsp;

Catch JP Chunga preview SLC Summer League and interview Collin Sexton on Roundball Roundup on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Stitcher.

roundball-roundup-summer-league-preview-collin-sexton-on-his-offseason

Roundball Roundup: Summer League preview + Collin Sexton on his offseason

The 2023 NBA Draft yielded three new Jazzmen - UCF’s Taylor Hendricks, Baylor’s Keyonte George, and Ohio State’s Brice Sensabaugh.

The three rookies joined JP Chunga to recap their first experiences in Utah and preview Summer League.

Catch the Jazz’s first round draft picks on Roundball Roundup on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Stitcher.

roundball-roundup-taylor-hendricks-keyonte-george-and-brice-sensabaugh-discuss-summer-league-approach

Roundball Roundup: Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte George, and Brice Sensabaugh discuss Summer League approach

Presented By:

Delta

Salt Lake City Summer League: <a href="https://www.nba.com/jazz/slcsl">Find&nbsp;tickets or watch live!</a>