A surprise scrimmage planned and played by the Jazz players themselves took place at Granger High School on September 30th giving 3,200 deserving students the assembly of a lifetime.

This was a different approach to what their annual intra-squad scrimmage has been like in the past, making it an even bigger deal than usual. Normally, before they kick off the season, the Jazz play a camp-ending open scrimmage held at Vivint Smart Home Arena. It gathers fans together for a preview of what tricks its new players have up their sleeves and shows the capabilities of its old players strengthened.

When the Jazz decided to play at Granger High School instead, they didn’t just announce it to everyone but made it a surprise for all students in attendance that day. “They were saying keep it a secret this whole week,” Jazz point guard Dante Exum said to KUTV. “I’m pretty sure they didn’t know until the moment we walked out. They were screaming the whole time.” When this was being planned, the administration let the students know that the Jazz’s dunk team was going to perform for them but held back the real reason behind holding this assembly.

For what had been a closely guarded secret for so long, the Jazz Players were overjoyed by the fact that their efforts had paid off. In a Salt Lake Tribune interview Jazz shooting guard Rodney Hood said, “It was very fun. You could see the excitement, us rolling on campus and everybody wondering who it was. When we got into the gym, it went crazy. It was a fun experience. I’m glad they had fun.” They definitely played the best that they possibly could for these students. After Hood ended one quarter with a buzzer beating 3-pointer and ended the game with a swift reverse dunk, the crowd couldn’t hold back their amusement.

Many students from other schools, in awe of just how lucky Granger High School was, now ask why their school didn’t get chosen. This includes Bingham students like one junior who said, “I wish I could have gone to Granger for just that one day.” This special assembly was made just for these students in an economically challenged area of the Salt Lake Valley where their school hasn’t gotten a whole lot of positive publicity. The administration has wanted to celebrate the recent accomplishments of its students so that’s when the Jazz stepped in to give them the assembly of a lifetime. After the game, the team took pictures with students, handed out signed basketballs and even donated $1000 to Granite School District.