Jazz Players, Front Office Celebrate Baylor National Championship
Apr 6, 2021, 1:27 PM | Updated: 2:24 pm
Utah Jazz forward Royce O'Neale with they Baylor Bears (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
(Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – After the Baylor Bears men’s basketball team won its first NCAA National Championship Monday night, Utah Jazz players and members of the front office with ties to the school celebrated the team’s win.
The Jazz have several links to the school with Vice President of Basketball Operations Dennis Lindsey having played at Baylor from 1987-1992, as did his son Jake Lindsey from 2015-2018 before retiring from basketball.
Jazz forward Royce O’Neale played his final two seasons of college ball at Baylor between 2013-2015. O’Neale celebrated Baylor’s win over Gonzaga 86-70 on Twitter after the game.
“Big timeeeee!! 
,” O’Neale tweeted. “Proud to be @BaylorMBB alum Congrats to the whole gang 
.”
Big timeeeee!! 💚 proud to be @BaylorMBB alum
Congrats to the whole gang 🙏🏾💯 @hoopculture13 @_MrDoWork @CoachJNuness @BUDREW and the rest https://t.co/jw8JJjTs5r— Royce O'Neale (@BucketsONeale00) April 6, 2021
Meanwhile, Becky Lindsey wife of the Jazz VP, and Jake Lindsey’s mother also celebrated on Twitter and Instagram.
Like Dennis, Becky attended Baylor where she studied early childhood education.
“Proud to be a Baylor Bear!!!” she tweeted.
Proud to be a Baylor Bear!! @utahjazz @BaylorMBB @BUDREW pic.twitter.com/1gZZ3vITPm
— Becky Lindsey (@Bec6916) April 6, 2021
“Me and Dennis are going to rub it in everybody’s face, every day for a little while,” O’Neale said.
“It’s a brotherhood, everybody keeps in contact, everybody has a piece of this championship.”
Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell has also developed a relationship with the Baylor program. Though Mitchell attended Lousiville for two seasons, his striking resemblance to Baylor star Davion Mitchell has become a talking point throughout the NCAA Tournament.
@spidadmitchell you play for Baylor bra? I’m confused lol
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) March 21, 2021
In addition to their similar names and appearances, both players wear the number 45, play the guard spot, and have similar wide shoulder builds.
The Jazz guard said he reached out to Baylor’s Mitchell throughout the tournament process to discuss his game.
“I look at him and I see so many different things in myself in college and so many things that he can get better at that he has no idea yet either,” Mitchell said. “I think that’s that’s the coolest part.”
Mitchell went as far in his support of the Baylor guard as to wear his jersey before they faced the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night.
Donovan Mitchell showed up to the @utahjazz game against the @dallasmavs showing support for his doppelganger Davion Mitchell ahead of tonight's #NCAAChampionship game. #takenote https://t.co/vANUhbbrYw
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) April 5, 2021
Of course, the Jazz aren’t without their Gonzaga ties as well. Jazz legend John Stockton, the NBA’s all-time leader in steals and assists is the most famous Bulldogs alumn and is still an active supporter of the team.
Like his father, guard David Stockton also played for Gonzaga before spending a season in the Jazz organization.
