Right, Gordon Giriček. Been thinking about him lately. I remember first seeing this guy play, must have been when he first came over. Didn’t make a huge splash right away, at least not to me.
Then you start actually watching the games, you know? He lands on a team, maybe Memphis first, then Orlando? Or was it Utah? My memory gets fuzzy on the exact order. But the point is, I started seeing him play more.
Watching Him Play
He had this kinda smooth, kinda awkward-looking lefty shot. But man, it went in. He wasn’t gonna dunk on three guys or make crazy passes. He was there to get buckets. Simple as that. Find an open spot, catch, shoot. Splash. He could get hot real fast.
I remember him most clearly with the Jazz, I think. Felt like he fit that system somehow. Just a solid scorer you could rely on for a while. Then he was on the move again. Felt like he played for quite a few teams:
- Grizzlies
- Magic
- Jazz
- 76ers
- Suns
Maybe missed one or two. Always seemed like a decent piece for a team needing some instant offense off the bench or as a spot starter.
Funny How You Remember Stuff
Thinking about Giriček playing those games, especially the late ones when he was out West with Utah, brings back some weird memories for me. Totally unrelated, really. It reminds me of this awful apartment I used to live in, way back. Paper-thin walls, dodgy heating.
I had this job, worked odd hours, sometimes finishing really late. I’d get back to that crummy apartment, couldn’t sleep right away. So I’d just flip on the TV. Often, the only thing on live was sports from the West Coast because of the time difference. So I ended up watching a lot of Jazz games, Kings games, whatever was on.
Didn’t even care that much about the teams half the time. It was just something to have on, background noise while I tried to wind down. And there Giriček would be, hitting a couple of jumpers. It wasn’t like I was a superfan or anything. He was just… there. Part of that late-night routine in that not-so-great phase of life.
It’s strange what sticks with you. Not always the big moments, sometimes just the random stuff you saw when you were doing something else entirely. So yeah, Gordon Giriček. Solid player, could definitely score. And for some reason, reminds me of bad heating and late-night TV. Funny old game, life.
