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Designer Lorne Sleem has fond childhood memories watching the Utah Jazz play in-person, but more recently has enjoyed the fandom carried to the next generation, to his son.

“Watching the Jazz is something we do as a family, so being able to spend time together doing that again has been really fun. It's also been very moving and inspiring to witness the NBA and the players join the fight for racial equality,” said Sleem.

Sleem’s designs, although fashionable, are meant to communicate a specific message, to showcase personality and convey particular interests. When approached to participate in the We Are With You campaign, Sleem saw two meaningful routes.

“Although we aren’t physically present in the arena cheering for our players, we are still representing them, rooting for them, shouting their names and wearing our team colors,” said Sleem. “The other meaning I draw from the phrase is that when it comes to addressing racial inequalities, we stand alongside the players and the Jazz. We are echoing their voices, calling for change in the world.”

The designer couldn’t help but be inspired by his own heritage while working on this project.

“It’s been an honor for me to create a piece that expresses our support for the Jazz during the NBA Playoffs and also as a statement that unifies and amplifies the voices of each individual player’s call to end systemic racism and promote social justice,” said Sleem.

For more We Are With You Playoff notes and artwork, click here.

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We Are With You by Designer Lorne Sleem

The musical productions and compositions of Eric &amp; Stu can best be described as smooth.

“To this day, (we’re) inspired by Mehmet Okur's smooth 3-point shot,” said the duo.

The pair own Pleasant Pictures Music Club; a stock music library company based in Utah established to bring video productions to life.

Avid Jazz fans, both have turned a childhood love of the Jazz into second-generation fandom.

“We watched as kids with our parents and now we watch and cheer them on our own kids. The Jazz have been a huge part of our lives,” said Eric &amp; Stu.

The business partners decided to write a song for the We Are With You campaign that will hopefully remind the team of the support they’ve earned back here in Utah.

“We are so sad to not be able to cheer on the Jazz (in person) this postseason,” said Eric &amp; Stu. “We decided to write a song that can hopefully remind the Jazz of the huge support they have back home! We did this collab with some local talent for the vocals.”

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We Are With You by musicians Eric, Stu & Mimi

JP Chunga

Always a fan of the underdog, 3D Designer Eugene Gauran remembers living in the Philippines as a teenager, waking up early with his dad in order to watch the Utah Jazz play in the NBA Finals against the Chicago Bulls.

“I remember the Bulls covering their ears from how loud (Utah’s) stadium was.” Gauran said. “From thousands of miles away, that energy was palpable.”

Inspired by that spirit and the resiliency of the Jazz organization, Gauran decided to make his We Are With You creative work out of rocks.

“I wanted to fuse my knowhow of 3D visual concepts with nature,” he said. “Setting 3D rocks to the type layout was a fun challenge, and was achieved through a sound balance of coding, texturing, and lighting, while grounding everything in design.”

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We Are With You by 3D Designer, Eugene Gauran

Currently located in Los Angeles, graphic designer Will Tuddenham is actually a Salt Lake City native and a lifelong Jazz fan. He remembers listening to Hot Rod Hundley’s call on the radio of his sister’s car as John Stockton’s famous shot sent the Utah Jazz to the NBA Finals.

From Stockton-to-Malone, Sundiata Gaines’ game-winner, and Donovan Mitchell’s breakout rookie year, Tuddenham has been there through it all and the NBA restart in Orlando has been no different.

“From the perspective of a spectator and fan of the sport, it’s been such a breath of fresh air during this time,” he said.

For the We Are With You campaign, Tuddenham was inspired by his memories of the home arena and the banners that fill the rafters with rich Jazz history.

“They are commemorative, unifying, and a symbol of loyalty,” said Tuddenham. “This project is born from the same concepts that the banners represent. This is how I envision signaling to both fans and players, that though we may be physically separated and mediated by a screen, we can proudly wave our unifying symbol and remain together.”

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We Are With You by Graphic Designer Will Tuddenham

What is Bountiful-based hand letterer Jill Dehaan’s fondest memory of the Utah Jazz? The Stockton-Malone era, and watching her dad’s face turn bright red with sports rage when calls didn’t go Utah’s way.

In a time of COVD-19 uncertainty, Dehaan was thrilled to hear of the NBA restart and an opportunity to participate in bringing Jazz fans together again.

“It’s nice to have one thing back,” Dehaan said, “My 'We Are With You' piece is about showing solidarity in this crazy time.”

Dehaan’s creations are influenced by her surroundings, specifically the beauty of Utah’s outdoors—a piece of home she hopes will let the team know that Jazz fans are still cheering them on from afar.

“I’m heavily inspired by the beauty of nature, vintage packaging and design, and learning everything about science and the natural world,” she said.

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We Are With You by Hand Letterer Jill Dehaan

Chaz Walgamott is in the business of creating animation that plays like good magic. The Tooele animator’s studio Digital Gravy is small, but their creations are fierce.

“We know we’ve done our job if we can get at least one person to say, ‘Woah.’ We live for that,” Walgamott said.

When asked to participate in our We Are With You campaign, Walgamott’s creative wheels began to turn. To him, the campaign means showcasing passion displayed by Utah’s fanbase.

“The Jazz are more than just the coaches and the players, it's also the fans. We collectively are the Jazz,” Walgamott said, “We’re fired up to see our team play in the playoffs and we hope that the players know win or lose, ride or die, we are with you.”

Although Walgamott and others won’t be able to enjoy historic playoff moments at Vivint Arena as they have in the past, he has enjoyed all the action happening in the NBA Bubble.

“It gives us something to look forward to, to hope for, to cheer for, to lose ourselves in,” he said.

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We Are With You by Animator Chaz Walgamott

Brett Ferrin knows a thing or two about rooting for his favorite team from afar. The Salt Lake graphic designer spent part of his childhood in South Korea but still found the time to root for the Utah Jazz.

“I vividly remember watching and cheering them on,” Ferrin said. “Despite the distance, we’ve always been Jazz fans.”

So when Ferrin had a chance to create an illustration for his team for our We Are With You campaign, he jumped at the opportunity.

“We desperately need connection right now,” Ferrin said. “I’m so proud to be part of a project that is celebrating unity despite the troubles we’re all facing. We’re all stronger together.”

Ferrin has missed attending games in person, but he is thrilled his squad is back in the playoffs.

“I'm so excited it's back! I was lucky enough to be at a Jazz game in February and I'm stoked to have it on my TV again,” he said.

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We Are With You by Illustrator Brett Ferrin

Single-game tickets for all home games to the First Round of the 2018 Utah Jazz Playoffs presented by Zions Bank will go on sale Monday, April 9 at noon MT. These First Round home games of the NBA Playoffs will be played at Vivint Smart Home Arena.

Tickets will be available at utahjazz.com, on the Utah Jazz mobile app or at the Vivint Smart Home Arena box office with an eight ticket limit per person. Hospitality packages and suites will also be available by calling (801) 325-2582, while group tickets can be purchased by calling (801) 355-DUNK. 

The final Western Conference seeding and opponent are still to be determined. A full playoff schedule with dates and times will be announced at a later date.

The Jazz will be making their 27th NBA Playoff appearance in franchise history, having advanced to the Conference Semifinals 15 times, Western Conference Finals six times, and the NBA Finals twice.

2018-19 season tickets are available now at www.utahjazz.com/tickets or by phone at (801) 355-DUNK and allow Season Ticket Members access to 2018 playoff tickets at the best prices and locations.

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Utah Jazz Clinch Spot in 2018 NBA Playoffs

Presented By:

Delta

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