A Bright Future : Sparkling Playoff Performance to Pay Off for Jazz’s Russell

Not playing much wasn’t the worst part--but it was close.

Working relentlessly during practice and on his own without a payoff in sight wasn’t a blast either, but he dealt with that too. And watching others benefit, among them guys Bryon Russell believes didn’t belong on the same NBA hardwood with him, didn’t spark thoughts of a career change.

But one thing did push him to the wall; one fear he couldn’t escape: Did he really travel so far to have it all crash and burn in Salt Lake City?

Everyone reaches a crossroads at some point in his life, Russell believes, and his came while seated at the far end of the Utah Jazz bench. Russell chose a path fortified with optimism and it appears he chose well.

Russell’s present situation is a lot better than the immediate past, and the future, once gray and getting darker every 24 seconds, seems so bright now that the former standout forward from Long Beach State can finally justify the smile he’s worn for so long.

“The past was very frustrating and, yeah, it was pretty hard at times,” said Russell, who spends the off-season in Long Beach. “But it worked out for me. Everything just seemed to click at the right time. I don’t think I could be in a better position now.”

Where Russell finds himself today is among the Jazz’s most valued assets.

This is because of his outstanding playoff performance, which opened eyes around the NBA. It will likely prompt Jazz executives to open the vault for Russell, they admit.

All he did was play at a frenetic pace that forced his Jazz teammates to keep up or look bad for at least not trying. His infusion of offensive zeal and defensive ferocity helped to power the Jazz to the brink of the NBA finals.

After terrorizing the Seattle SuperSonics with 24 points and 10 rebounds in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals, a 96-76 Jazz victory, Seattle Coach George Karl joked that Russell hopefully would be lost for the rest of the series because of a broken arm. No such luck, coach. Russell continued to make a difference as a reserve as the series went the distance.

Russell provided a glimpse in the first round against the Portland Trail Blazers. In the first game of that series, Utah trailed by eight beginning the fourth quarter. Enter Russell.

Twelve points and some smothering defense later, the Jazz was back. Russell’s performance was the biggest reason it rallied to a 110-102 victory.

“One of the coaches told me to be ready,” Russell said. “I said, ‘I was always ready. You guys should have put me in a long time ago.’ ”

And so it started.

“From there on, Coach [Jerry Sloan] said I was going to play,” Russell said. “I felt good. I proved it wasn’t a fluke because I kept doing it throughout the playoffs.”

Jazz President Frank Layden is convinced.

“The only problem with Bryon is that he doesn’t know how to spell his name,” joked Layden, among the NBA’s noted comics. “But seriously, he was something. I guess you can say I’m kind of a Bryon Russell fan.”

Russell played in all 18 of the Jazz’s playoff games. He averaged 9.6 points, fourth on the team, and he was fourth with 75 rebounds.

He made 47.2% of his three-pointers (25 of 53). And Russell’s size (6 feet 7, 225 pounds) and defensive skills enable him to hawk small forwards and shooting guards, making him valuable on a team that’s not the league’s most athletic.

“He’s one of the greatest athletes I have ever been associated with,” Layden said. “There is no weakness with Bryon.”

Which begs the question: What took so long for the Jazz to notice?

Utah selected Russell in the second round of the 1993 draft, making him the 45th pick overall. Russell, who credits former UCLA Coach Walt Hazzard and Long Beach assistant coaches for helping him reach the NBA, played himself into the draft with a strong performance during the pre-draft camp in Chicago. Things started well for Russell, who along with current Dallas Maverick guard Lucious Harris, led the 49ers to the NCAA tournament that season.

He started 48 games as a rookie and played in the rookie all-star game, beating out many players drafted before him for a spot. He averaged five points and shot 48.4% from the field that season.

Then, thud.

Russell played in 63 games in his second season, starting 16. His scoring and shooting averages dropped to 4.5 and 43.7%. The fall continued this season. Russell played in 59 regular-season games, averaging 4.3 points and shooting 39.4%. He started only nine times and, unlike his previous two seasons, played sparingly as a backup.

What went wrong?

“He’s got a lot of God-given tools, but I don’t think he could shoot when he came to us,” Layden said. “But he’s worked real hard.”

Russell has a different theory.

“I feel like in the NBA it’s all about politics,” Russell said. “There were a lot of people in my position making more money than me, so they have to play them because they pay them.

“I understood that but I wanted to play. I was the hungry young fella. I kept a smile on my face and just stayed out of trouble.”

Still, his anger and disappointment surfaced occasionally. Once during practice last season, Russell got into a heated exchange with Karl Malone, the Jazz’s star power forward. Russell’s anger wasn’t really directed toward Malone, especially since Malone supported him.

What got to Russell was the fear of being released, an unpleasant reality for everyone occupying the 12th seat on those 12-man rosters. Russell had overcome a lot growing up in San Bernardino. To make it to college and then the NBA, and then to have it end so soon, it just didn’t seem fair.

“I thought I was going to wind up starting over from scratch,” he said. “I was just like, ‘Well, let’s just have it happen so we can move on.’ ”

Kim Russell continued to encourage her husband. They met at Long Beach and Kim had been there from the beginning. Bryon said her presence helped immeasurably. He received additional support from his family in San Bernardino and then there is Kajun.

The Russells’ daughter, now 11 months, is Bryon’s biggest inspiration. No matter how disappointed about his role with the Jazz, his spirits always improved when he returned to his suburban Salt Lake City home.

“That helped a lot,” he said, of playing with Kajun. “A whole lot.”

Russell is a fan favorite now--not something to be taken lightly in those parts. The Jazz’s fans are among the NBA’s most loyal, and Russell is an object of their affection. He doesn’t have the status of Malone and point guard John Stockton, but he’s not with the pack either.

“There were all these posters on our house after one of the playoff games,” Kim Russell said. “They were all thanking Bryon. Neighbors kept coming over with cookies and things. They just love him.”

The Russells appreciate the kindness.

“Utah is a real nice place. The people have been very good to us,” Byron said. “It’s a good place to raise a family. I’d love to stay there.”

Russell is in the option year of a contract that will pay him $385,000 next season. Layden acknowledged the Jazz is discussing rewarding Russell with a new, improved deal. Jazz coaches have told him to expect to play a bigger role on the team next season, and he will likely become a starter.

“I’m not going to worry about it,” Russell said. “If they do [improve his contract] they do, but I’m going to keep playing hard no matter what happens. You can only control what you can control.”

Paramount in his thoughts is establishing the Bryon Russell Foundation, which he said will fund programs to help underprivileged children in Long Beach and San Bernardino.

“It’s about not forgetting where you come from,” Russell said. “I’m just trying to make things happen for people who don’t have a chance like I do.”