Utah Jazz's Will Hardy Shows Huge Respect to Jordan Clarkson

The Utah Jazz, in the midst of their brutal 112-146 blowout to the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden, were also able to get their first chance to meet up with a familiar face in Jordan Clarkson since his buyout earlier this summer, parting ways with Utah after six seasons.

Clarkson, thanks to his tenure and veteran guidance in the early parts of the Jazz's rebuild, is undoubtably a respected figure around Utah, even if not on the roster any longer. And of course, in the months following his departure, those positive feelings clearly linger around the facility, both in the locker room and for head coach Will Hardy.

Hardy, in particular, made sure to hand some praise to the former Jazz guard ahead of facing him for the first time on the other side, having a lot of credit to hand Clarkson for how he helped him along in his first few years on the job as Utah's coach.

"Jordan [Clarkson]'s one of one. I learned a lot coaching JC," Hardy said before facing the Knicks. "He taught me a lot about, not only tactics, JC's incredibly smart. We spent a bunch of time together watching film trying to understand how he sees it, and he taught me a lot."

"He plays a creative style. He's elite with the ball in his hands, but he also is very good playing off the ball. As a screener, as a cutter."

Will Hardy Says Jordan Clarkson Helped Him Build Respect With Jazz

Feb 15, 2023; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy (center) talks with guard Jordan Clarkson (00) during — Jan 5, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy talks with Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) from the sideline as they take on the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Clarkson is a fireball to watch play on the floor, and can certainly have his hot moments, especially in Utah, that makes him one of the more exciting scorers to watch in the backcourt throughout the Jazz's recent history.

But that value Clarkson can bring to the table seemingly also comes behind the scenes as well, with his ability to make the job a bit easier for coaches like Hardy as a tenured experienced vet in the room.

Especially in Hardy's first year in the league and first year commanding Utah, he found Clarkson's presence to be extremely helpful, and that's as a result of helping to build up his respect for the new head coach in the Jazz locker room.

For Hardy, those moments actually wind up as his favorite with him in the mix on his roster.

"I think my fondest memories are just how JC approached me as a first time head coach," Hardy said. "At the time when I got hired, I was very young, first time head coach. Didn't really have that many strong relationships with the guys on the team, and JC was one of the guys who accepted me from the first day, and helped me establish credibility in the locker room."

"Those things are very real when you're a first time head coach, and so I'll always be grateful that he gave me grace along the way. I made plenty of mistakes, and the way that he treated me every day, and the way that he helped give me credibility in the locker room is something I'll always be grateful for."

Clearly, a largely valued piece in the Jazz's recent history, and a pivotal piece of Will Hardy's career that's helped him get to the place he is now as one of the more well-recepted and well-respected head coaches in the entire NBA.

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