Long Shots and Layups - Softcover

From a self-proclaimed sports marketing junkie, here's the inside story of how a top US sports franchise functions, how one man brought it to Utah against the advice of the NBA, how another man and his family gave it new life, passionately embracing the team, making countless financial and personal sacrifices throughout its history, how its general manager, coaches, and players rallied behind the exuberance of a state full of sports fans, and how a last-place sorts property became a model of success, surprising most sports business experts and the entire front office of the NBA along the way. For over 28 years, Michael Snarr worked in the front office of the Utah Jazz and watched as all of these fascinating stories, plots, and subplots unfolded. Balancing the history of the team from the time it re-rooted itself in Utah, Snarr also tells us about the business of sports marketing, how it came together, grew,and how some extremely remarkable and committed individuals on the team and business side achieved what few people thought possible, especially in one of the smallest cities in the NBA. The Utah Jazz met Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Championship Finals twice. That accomplishment grabbed the attention of America, and indeed, much of the world. It was a series where individual play was overshadowed by team effort. Almost everyone watched. In fact, the 1998 NBA Finals is still the most watched series in the history of the NBA. This is a story of success, of overcoming failure year after year, and of beating the odds to achieve more than expected. The final score is just a footnote to a much greater and inspiring story. The story of the Utah Jazz during the golden era of Stockton to Malone.