Collin Sexton Commended For Role In Cavs' Turnaround: 'He Never Wavered'
Before Collin Sexton suited up on the visitors' side of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for the first time with the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was eager to talk about the 24-year-old guard's grind during their time together.
"Collin is awesome. You watch a guy who you talk about [is] dedicated to his craft. He was relentless in his work ethic and trying to improve as a basketball player," Bickerstaff said. "He's got the uncanny ability to just put the ball in a basket at a high clip, and you see what teams do to him defensively and all those things. It just doesn't matter. You look up, he's got 25, 27 points."
"So you just appreciate the work that he put in. He came in the league, he wasn't a great three-point shooter. I think [when] he left here [he] was a 40-percent three-point shooter when he was with us. So when you see a guy who cares that much and just looks to overcome obstacles, you can't help but support him.”
Sexton received applause during pregame intros from Cavs fans, and again got a rousing ovation when the organization put together a video package for him after a timeout in the first quarter. Rightfully so.
"I mean he was here during the roughest times and helped kind of catapult [us] because that's not easy, and that doesn't go enough without being said," Bickerstaff said. "When you start the beginning of a rebuild after a championship run like the Cavs had, it's not easy and it puts pressure on people personally. The microscope is on people even more, and he never wavered.
"He showed up every day to work. He went out and competed his tail off every single night, wins, losses. As few [and in] between the wins were at that time when we first got here, he just kept going and kept trying to help this team and help the organization. So, very appreciative and lucky and fortunate to have spent the time with him and hoping nothing but the best [for him].”
Dec 20, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton (2) acknowledges the crowd in the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Jazz head coach Will Hardy spoke before the game on Sexton's feelings coming into the game and being able to take on the team that drafted him.
"I'm glad he's on our team," Hardy said. "Collin's as competitive of a person as I've ever been around. You guys know that here [in Cleveland]. They don't call him Young Bull for nothing. He's gonna let it rip. He has always said nothing but amazing things about the Cavs, the city of Cleveland, the fan base, his time here. Collin loved his experience here. I think he was obviously disappointed that he wasn't able to play here last year.
"I would assume, having never been in Collin's spot, that there's a lot of emotion [Wednesday]. It's a happy night, it's a weird night. Walking in on the visitors' side in this building I'm sure is a strange feeling for him. He's worked really, really hard to continue to improve. He's very coachable. He lets myself and our staff coach him really hard. No matter what happens on the court [Wednesday], it will not be because of a lack of effort from Collin. I can promise you that."
Of course, in typical Young Bull fashion, Sexton scored 20 points with three rebounds, a pair of assists and a block in his first game at the FieldHouse in over two years. He was attack-minded, set up his teammates and played unselfish basketball throughout despite Utah failing to convert.
There was even a point where he picked up Craig Porter Jr. full court and fought through an Isaac Okoro screen to draw a foul with the Jazz ahead early in the third quarter. So that aggressive, never-back-down mentality we've seen from Sexton time-and-time again was there — just on the opposing side.
