Time Right For Rocky Mountain Revue To Return To Utah

Sep 30, 2013; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

Exciting breaking news for basketball fans in Utah today: Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today reports the time is right for the Rocky Mountain Revue summer league showcase to return to Utah.

"The Utah Jazz are hopeful the once-popular Rocky Mountain Revue NBA summer league returns to Salt Lake City as soon as the summer of 2015, three league officials familiar with the situation told USA TODAY Sports."

Zillgitt tells me “From what I’ve been told, [the Utah] Jazz, D-League unit [the Idaho Stampede, and] international teams are easy. Interest is there from a couple of other NBA teams [as well]. A few teams compete in two summers leagues — the Miami Heat, Philadelphia Sixers did it last summer and belief is a few West teams will compete in both.”

Utah Jazz President Randy Rigby is hopeful they can secure “4-6 teams” by summer 2015 to bring back what was always a popular summer basketball event in Utah before the economic troubles of the late 2000s were causation for lower attendance, as people had less disposable income.

The Stampede are the Jazz’s D-League franchise secured last summer solely for the purpose of helping develop Jazz players and staff, much like the San Antonio Spurs have done with the Austin Toros — also where current Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey and head coach Quin Snyder cut NBA teeth before being hired in Utah.

There are several interesting international teams that would make for a good watch in Salt Lake summers, and if even two NBA teams join in the fray with the Stampede and Jazz we have our six teams for a 2015 RMR.

Browsing the history of the RMR, commentary includes Rigby saying he was hopeful the demise of summer league ball in Utah would last only a year, after it was canceled for 2009, to others surmising it would never return.

"Rigby says the Jazz will consider reviving the Revue next summer, depending on the economy.–NBA.com, circa 2009"

Zillgitt intimates that “As recently as the summer of 2013, Randy Rigby floated desire to bring RMR back to SLC. [The] Jazz feel time is right to bring it back.”

"Utah Jazz president Randy Rigby said [in July 2013] that he is gauging interest around the NBA of resurrecting the Rocky Mountain Revue, the popular summer league played in Salt Lake City for 24 years until 2008. At the time, more teams began flocking to the slate of games in Las Vegas, which is run by the NBA, and the Revue fizzled.Now, Rigby believes the trend could be going the other way.“There seems to be an interest from teams in bringing it back,” Rigby said. “We have an interest, and I think we have a fan base that would support it.”“We have some ideas of how maybe a change in the format that would be more advantageous to teams in the development of their summer league program,” Rigby said.–Bill Oram, Salt Lake Tribune"

And Jazz brass have some bigger backing as well. NBA officials were impressed with the attendance of Utah basketball fans at free events put on by the franchise. “The NBA is very impressed with how the Jazz as an organization view fans. The league was impressed with 9,000 fans at the open practice before Las Vegas Summer League last July.”

Jazz fans can be proud of the support they’ve given the Utah franchise, playing a large part in this possible return of the summer basketball showcase to Utah.

Recognition is certainly due the Utah Jazz franchise itself as well, for accommodating professional basketball in Utah and surrounding areas, giving fans and families events to attend at little or no cost throughout the year when the official NBA season is on holiday.

Zillgitt says, “Another very important factor: The Jazz officials want to do something for basketball fans in Utah. It’s just as much for fans as it is anything.”

The Rocky Mountain Revue ran for 24 years before being canceled due to economic strife, and many a basketball legend could be approached there. I chatted with Hot Rod Hundley and was nearly run over by Jerry Sloan mere moments later at the RMR one year. The RMR was the place where former Utah Jazz head coach Tyrone Corbin, now head assistant at the Sacramento Kings, got his coaching start.

Kyrylo Fesenko being Kyrylo Fesenko

That was the same RMR that Jazz fan fav Kyrylo Fesenko famously showed up with that shocking head of bright orange hair that Sloan so disapproved of. Fesenko was kind of ambling up and down the floor until the Hall of Fame coach suddenly appeared at one end-table behind the Jazz’s basket with his assistant Phil Johnson. Fesenko magically found another hustle gear when he spotted Sloan and Johnson staring him down, briefly taking over the game before being yanked and sat for the remainder of the half, when Jerry stalked over to his staff, in the process cutting myself and the boy off, not even seeing us. He was livid.

It’s good times, gang. While media may not be there in the amount they attend Orlando and Las Vegas, Jeff tells me, the RMR is great fan fodder and memories in the making.

Thrilling news for basketball fans in Utah reported by Jeff Zillgitt today. Be sure to read his USA Today piece on the breaking news here, and give him a follow on Twitter: @JeffZillgitt.

While it may seem like odd timing for such news, things have a way of trickling down the grape vine. It’s likely that officials have been contacted for the purposes of scheduling and gauging interest of who exactly can and would attend the event in 2015. And interest certainly seems to be piquing in bringing back the Rocky Mountain Revue Summer League series to Utah.