Former Utah Jazz C Felton Spencer Returning to Vivint Arena

Felton Spencer, who spent three years in the middle with the Utah Jazz, will be in the house when the team takes on the Los Angeles Lakers this week.

If you’re a thirty- or forty-something fan of the Utah Jazz, you know all about Felton Spencer. The 7-foot-2 center was a key contributor on some solid squads in the years immediately before the Stockton-to-Malone Jazz reached their peak against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals.

If he hadn’t ruptured his Achilles, he may have even joined them on the ride.

In any event, when he first came to the Jazz in 1993, it was an exciting move for a young fan like myself. Spencer was the No. 6 overall pick in the draft just a few years before and Mark Eaton, depleted by age and injury, had just retired from basketball. Spencer’s arrival was big news at the time.

This week, the former Jazzman (and alleged Trey Lyles lookalike) is making news in Utah once again. According to an announcement from the Jazz, Spencer is set to make a series of appearances on Thursday and Friday as part of the team’s alumni program.

From the Jazz press release —

On Thursday, Spencer will take part in a Facebook Live chat on the Jazz’s official Facebook page from 5:30-6 p.m. He will then sign autographs on the concourse at Vivint Smart Home Arena outside of Fanzz, located by Portal E from 7-8 p.m. During the game Spencer will also join David Locke and Ron Boone on the Jazz radio broadcast. The following day, January 27, Spencer and Junior Jazz staff will host a youth basketball clinic. There, the attendees will learn fundamental basketball drills, including shooting, passing and dribbling.

Felton Spencer to Make Jazz Alumni Appearances This Week

Details: https://t.co/3Bpc6c3kyQ pic.twitter.com/XSHMFgPVHa

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 25, 2017

Spencer played three years with the Jazz from 1993 to 1996. He was acquired via trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Mike Brown, who had also been a big part of what the team was doing. In 184 games with the organization (183 starts), he averaged 7.6 points and nearly seven rebounds per game. He also appeared in 34 playoff games over that stretch.

His best performance in a Jazz uniform probably came in an April, ’94 game against David Robinson and the San Antonio Spurs. Although the Admiral dropped 31 points in the game, Spencer scored 22 of his own on 9-of-13 shooting and grabbed a team-high 17 rebounds in 37 minutes on the floor. The Jazz won the game 101-90.