Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz are taking fans down memory lane.
This weekend the team will debut "Note Worthy: 50 Seasons of Jazz Basketball," a 98-minute documentary chronicling the franchise's first 50 seasons.
It was a concept born from a series of podcast interviews, and it quickly morphed into a feature-length documentary production.
"This was going to be a 30-minute piece," said director Rashad Floyd. "It was moved to 45 (minutes), it went to 60, and we started understanding there's so much."
Turns out, a lot happened in 50 years: team relocation, a new arena, multiple Hall of Famers, a couple of Finals appearances — and that was just the first 25 seasons.
The filmmakers conducted 70 interviews and sifted through 40,000 hours of footage to tell the franchise's story. The film cuts back and forth between the past and the present to showcase the team's future and how the Jazz have played a role in shaping Utah.
"We didn't want it to just go from 70s to 80s to 90s that could get a little dry and get a little boring," Floyd said. "We wanted to have this parallel story being told simultaneously."
The final result is a well-produced, professional film that Jazz fans should enjoy. They also shouldn't expect any new revelations about their favorite team.
It's fair to say "Note Worthy" is not "The Last Dance," the famed documentary about Michael Jordan's final year with the Bulls. The filmmakers didn't have hours of unseen footage to craft a story; instead, Floyd and his team relied on archives and old news reports to play over interviews.
There are a few new anecdotes from the older Jazz eras — Frank Layden, as always, is a highlight — but the documentary is mostly filled with footage fans have seen and stories they've already heard.
There aren't any big surprises or big reveals, and the more controversial moments in the team's history are mostly left untouched.
In short, it's a warm blanket of Jazz nostalgia. But familiar moments do come with a new light.
Seeing John Stockton getting choked up after reliving his famous shot that sent the team to the 1997 NBA Finals should be pretty powerful for fans who still remember exactly where they were when that shot occurred.
"There were more tears shed than I expected by folks who I did not expect to shed tears," Floyd said. "But I think that's the beauty of this team, this family, this community — there is a tremendous amount of blood, sweat and tears and loyalty and a fan base that goes beyond measure."
The film is at its best when it focuses on the past.
Darrell Griffith tells a phenomenal story about Layden on a bus ride to a game. Karl Malone reveals what was said in the huddle before Stockton's famous shot. Greg Ostertag tears up becuase he feels he let his team down in the Finals. Layden expresses regret over how things ended with Adrian Dantley.
Those are compelling moments.
The present-day storyline — featuring Keyonte George, Will Hardy, Ryan Smith, and more — seems much more contrived and can feel like a public relations presentation. It may make the film feel dated fairly quickly, too.
Overall, though, "Note Worthy" is an ambitious project worth checking out.
How to watch
The team will premier the documentary Saturday at the Delta Center at 5 p.m. MDT. Doors to the arena open at 4 p.m.
After the screening, Thurl Bailey, Ron Boone, Dantley and director Rashad Floyd take part in a Q&A about the film moderated by play-by-play announcer Craig Bolerjack.
The film can be streamed on Jazz+ beginning Monday, Aug. 12 at 5 p.m. MDT.
On Tuesday, Aug. 13 the doc will premier on the Jazz's YouTube channel at 5 p.m. MDT.
