A day following the press conference with Jazz brass Justin Zanik and Danny Ainge, new Jazzmen Collin Sexton and Ochai Agbaji spoke to the media for the first time since arriving in Utah.
And it was clear the mountains were on their mind.
“It’s not like Kansas, obviously,” Agbaji said Tuesday. “You walk outside, you get a nice mountain view everywhere you look, basically.”
In fact, despite being in Salt Lake City for just a week, Ochai went on a hike.
Sexton, the 23-year-old from Marietta, Georgia, said he’s also a fan of nature.
“I like the outdoors a lot so I’m definitely going to be taking hikes,” he said.
When it comes to the actual basketball, though, the two guards are enjoying the vibes inside the gym as much as they are outside in nature.
“Everybody in the organization, everybody in the building has real good energy,” Sexton said. “Each and every day we’ve been here has been fun.”
“Nothing but hard work and good energy,” Agbaji added.
Sexton comes to Utah after playing just 11 games in the 2021-22 season, sidelined with a torn left meniscus in November of 2021. He said he spent a lot of his time away from the game watching film and said he is now 100% healthy.
“At the end of the day I just want to come in every day and give it 110% and be the best Collin I can be,” he said.
Both players said they’re looking forward to playing for first-year Head Coach Will Hardy and noted that Coach’s energy has been high when they’ve seen him around the practice facility.
“That energy, that kind of motivates us as players seeing a new coach come in, [we] want to work so hard for him and just get him established in the league, too, as a new coach,” Agbaji said.
“I can’t wait to just be coached by him,” Sexton added, “just because his energy and how he talks to us and how he’s so uplifted and how he has high spirits each and every day… that rubs off everybody in the building, as well.”
The Utah Jazz season starts October 19 at home versus the Denver Nuggets. Get your tickets HERE.