Top 50 Utah Jazz Players Countdown: #32 Raja Bell
Sep 8, 2023, 11:35 AM
Raja Bell #19 of the Utah Jazz (Photo by Andy Lyons/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Andy Lyons/NBAE via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The countdown for KSL Sports’ 50 greatest Utah Jazz players is officially underway, and coming in at number 32 is forward Raja Bell.
Leading up to the tip-off of the 50th season in Jazz history, Jake Scott and Ben Anderson have been counting down the top 50 players in franchise history as voted on by fans and the media.
Here’s a look at Raja Bell’s career with the Jazz.
Jazz 50: Rank No. 32 – Raja Bell
Signed by the Jazz as a free agent in 2003, Bell helped a young roster significantly exceed expectations in Utah after the departure of John Stockton and Karl Malone.
Projected by the media as one of the worst teams in NBA history, Bell and the 03-04 Jazz won 42 games and were in contention for the postseason until the final week of the regular season.
Bell’s first season in Utah saw the feisty forward averaged 11.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists quickly establishing himself as one of the top young 3-and-D wings in the NBA.
The Florida International product would play one more season in Utah before signing with the “seven seconds or less” Phoenix Suns where he became a full-time starter on a roster contending for a championship.
Bell would play nearly four seasons in Phoenix before making stops in Charlotte and Golden State before returning to the Jazz in 2010.
After a dustup with head coach Tyrone Corbin, Bell was dismissed from the team during the 2011-12 NBA season, marking his final appearance in the NBA.
In four seasons and 247 appearances in Utah, Bell averaged 9.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists with the Jazz.
Follow the rest of the Jazz 50 countdown with Jake and Ben Monday through Friday at 11:30 leading up to the opening day of the regular season.
Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops or on Instagram @BensHoops.
