The 1998 NBA Finals can be a sore topic around Salt Lake City. Michael Jordan beating the Utah Jazz with his clutch mid-range jumper will always be iconic. While many lauded him, some believed that he should have been called for a foul. Whether or not Mike’s move on Byron Russell was legal or not, some Jazz fans are not willing to bury the hatchet. In fact, the Jazz organization seems to have dedicated their Wi-Fi name to the very controversial 25-year-old game.
During Indianapolis Colts legend Pat McAfee’s show’s latest episode, businessman Ryan Smith spoke about the Utah Jazz’s distinctive Wi-Fi name. What was the name that caused an uproar among fans?
Does the Utah Jazz organization still hold a grudge against Michael Jordan?
That might be too obvious a question. The way MJ beat the Jazz for two straight years obviously disheartened the fans. However, during the 1998 Finals, the end of the game saw Michael Jordan shaking off Byron Russell to make his shot.
The legality of that moment is quite contested among fans. Whether Mike extended his hand or pushed him off still seems to be up for debate. But the Utah Jazz team is quite confident about their opinion.
So much so that they seem to have named their Wi-Fi “JordanPushedOff.” Former punter and kickoff specialist Pat McAfee discussed the name on his show. Taking note, the Utah Jazz Twitter account confirmed the news with a telling screenshot.
Despite numerous people and analysts ruling against the Chicago Bulls legend, fans remained dissatisfied with the Utah Jazz’s actions. What are your thoughts on this? While NFL star Pat McAfee was amused with the Utah Jazz’s move, fans had a different opinion.
Utah Jazz fans blasted off the team with their comments
To be fair, Jazz fans have also had their moments of being salty with Michael Jordan. Just in October of this year, the fanbase resoundingly rejected Utah Jazz’s ‘Jumpman’ merch.
But still, the pettiness of the franchise didn’t sit too well with the online community. Fans got quite creative with their criticism. One of the users wrote, “I cannot overemphasize how f***ng lame this is.”
Another fan made a parallel to Utah’s defense in the 1998 NBA Finals.
One Jazz fan reared up in the comments with a sincere request. They want their team to ditch the mind games and focus on the NBA games instead.
Well, of course, there were some supporters. One of the fans seemed to be impressed by their action. Another one acknowledged that this action was petty, however, was happy with it.
Amber is just here for the popcorn.
However, another user was completely against the idea. The user thinks that such actions are the reason why the Utah Jazz have been unable to return to the Finals since the turn of the century.
Numerous fans chimed in the comments section to add how they wanted the franchise to work hard on the court instead of pulling such actions against the Bulls legend. Do you agree with the fans? Do tell us in the comments section below.