Category: Utah Jazz Blog

Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the team has exercised its fourth-year option on guard Ronnie Brewer for the 2009-10 season.  Per team policy, financial terms were not released.

Originally selected by the Jazz in the first round (14th overall) of the 2006 NBA Draft, Brewer (6-7, 218, Arkansas) has appeared in 132 games (90 starts) over his first two seasons and holds career averages of 8.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.26 steals in 20.9 minutes per game.   In 2007-08, Brewer increased his numbers over his rookie year in every major statistical category, averaging 12.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.70 steals in 27.5 minutes while starting all 76 games in which he played.  He led the NBA in steals-per-turnover ratio (1.87) and ranked seventh in field goal percentage (.558).  Brewer led the Jazz in both steals and field goal percentage while scoring in double figures on 53 occasions, 46 times more than his rookie year.  He was also selected to compete on the sophomore squad in the 2008 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge during NBA All-Star Weekend.

The Salt Lake Tribune (Ross Siler) reports —  Although they had until Oct. 31 to do so, the Jazz have exercised the fourth-year option in guard Ronnie Brewer’s contract, general manager Kevin O’Connor said Monday at the team’s annual media day. “We’ll do it now and kind of make him feel like he understands that the work he did this summer is rewarded,” O’Connor said, “and the work he did last summer and last year is rewarded.” Brewer took over as the Jazz’s starting shooting guard last season and went on to average 12.0 points and 2.9 rebounds. He gained an additional 10 to 12 pounds from last season and weighed in Monday at 235 pounds.

Utah Jazz forward Kyle Korver will participate in a fundraiser on September 19 in an attempt to set the Guinness World Record for the longest kickball game ever played.

The Kyle Korver Foundation is sponsoring the 25-hour kickball game marathon with the goal of raising $10,000 for the Helping Hand Rescue Mission in North Philadelphia.  Korver, entering his sixth NBA season, has worked closely with the Mission and the underprivileged kids in the surrounding community for over two years.

Adam Bruckner, assistant coach of the Philadelphia Kixx (National Indoor Soccer League, www.kixxonline.com) and youth director at the Mission, is spearheading the event.  The game will be played at Capitolo playground (9th and Federal), which borders the famous cheese steak stops of Pat’s and Geno’s in South Philadelphia. The event is free of charge for spectators and fans are encouraged to cheer on the tireless participants.

Each team will have a roster of 20 players, and Guinness rules require that four males and females be on the field at all times.  Players will be allowed to substitute and rest, but the game will be played continually for more than 24 hours.

As multidimensional as the forward is as an NBA player, Korver is even more so as a person. The forward continually finds time to participate in a myriad of charitable activities, and in 2006 he established the Kyle Korver Foundation as a way to streamline all his charitable efforts and focus on making a positive impact on the lives of underprivileged children.  The Foundation will match any funds raised through pledges for the night, and the money will go towards building a recreation room and learning center at the Mission (6th and Green).  The Kyle Korver Foundation is a 501(c)3 charity and donations will be tax deductible.

Former Syracuse shooting star Gerry McNamara, who won an NCAA championship with Carmelo Anthony, will be in training camp with the Utah Jazz, agent Bill Neff told InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner. McNamara’s experience since college includes playing in Greece and Latvia, as well as the D-League.

With Deron Williams, Brevin Knight and Ronnie Price already on board in Utah, there isn’t really room for Gerry, but training camp experience is always helpful.