The Utah Jazz Hierarchy of Needs through quotes: Media Day 2026

At the base are the things a team needs to exist: players, a court, goals, equipment, rules, etc.

Closer to the top come the flashier things. An adoring fanbase, endorsements, fame, success, stardom, etc.

But in the case of the Utah Jazz , historical failure to win an NBA championship means that Utah has never reached basketball self-actualization — consistently falling short of their ultimate potential. This is why Ryan Smith's first course of action with the franchise was to tear it down to its most fundamental level. The star players were the first to go. Then the veteran coach. Then the supporting cast of talent. He even sucked the life and color from Utah's uniforms, leaving them with a bare-bones and hideous appearance as a visual representation of the team's self-inflicted serfdom.