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He leaves behind a legacy of kindness, a work ethic that so many admired and a man who made himself a basketball player from basically a lump of clay and then made himself into a visible businessman in the Utah community. Eaton was accessible, and could often be seen at games, just behind the Jazz bench. He consistently made himself available for autographs and pictures and random conversation. He was someone who treated everybody the same, no matter who that person happened to be.
That’s what keeps coming up when talking to people about Eaton. Over and over you’ll hear those that knew him say that he was a great listener, a superb friend, and unendingly kind to everyone he encountered. “Obviously he had a great career, but as a human being as a person, he was someone that I related a lot,” Gobert said. “I learned a lot just from being around him. He’s definitely going to be missed, and not just by me but in the community, with all the great things that he’s done and all the people he’s been inspiring his whole life.”
“He was always at games early in my career, and he just used to always come up to me and give me advice about certain things,” Favors said. “You know, we just used to talk, and he’d tell stories.” Favors, who stands 6-foot-9 and weighs about 265 pounds, recalled how Eaton was one of the few people he’d ever come across who could make him feel small. “I mean, he was how tall — 7-3, 7-4? Yeah, 7-4. The only other player that I played against that was taller than that was Yao Ming, my rookie year,” Favors said. “He was a big guy, he was a big guy. There was a reason why he was one of the best shot-blockers in the NBA at his time.”
Mark Eaton the former Utah Jazz player and two-time NBA defensive player of the year, has died. 2 News learned of his passing from two sources close to Eaton. Eaton went for a bike ride around 8pm Friday in Summit County and did not return home. No foul play is suspected but his cause of death is not known.
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The bond between Eaton and Gobert was forged in 2013, when the 7' 1" Gobert was little more than a supersized rookie. Eaton, who co-owns a restaurant in Salt Lake City, popped into the Jazz locker room a few times that year. “Us seven-footers,” says the 7' 4" Eaton, “we stick together.” As the friendship grew, Gobert would drop into Eaton’s restaurant, even visit him at his home. “I love his insight,” Gobert told Sports Illustrated. Defense was a frequent topic of conversation: Eaton swatted more than 3,000 shots and picked up two Defensive Player of the Year awards in 11 seasons with the Jazz; Gobert has already been named the NBA’s top defender twice—and has more than 1,100 blocks of his own.
Eaton never had Gobert’s athleticism. Gobert doesn’t have the girth and raw strength Eaton possessed. Eaton couldn’t move like Gobert and was more limited offensively. But the two shared characteristics. They are intensely competitive men. They took pride in their defense and their ability to pack the paint. In Gobert, Eaton saw a little brother and, finally, a guy to carry his torch. He was as proud as anyone when Gobert received his call to the All-Star Game. “He texts me a lot, and we talk often,” Gobert told The Athletic in an extensive interview. “It’s great to have someone like him look after me and to have someone to talk to. He’s been to the places that I want to get to, and I appreciate a lot of the advice that he has to offer.”
In Gobert, Eaton sees a sleek version of himself, someone who represents a better version of himself. The two men have formed a bond over the years. They talk regularly, not so much about basketball but about life in general. They are, in many ways, a tie between generations that doesn’t happen often enough. “I love it,” Jazz executive Dennis Lindsey told The Athletic. “Both of those guys, they have Jazz DNA. Their relationship crosses generations, and I love that both of those guys had to work for everything they accomplished in the game. They fit our history, and we love the fact that they have a good relationship with each other.”
John Stockton, Karl Malone and Jerry Sloan could get some Utah Jazz company in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame if the stars and votes align correctly. Jazz greats Ron Boone and Mark Eaton have both been honored as eligible candidates for Hall of Fame recognition for the first time. Boone and Eaton are among a group that includes a few other local ties. Utah native and legendary coach Dick Motta, ex-Utah Stars player Willie Wise, who was on the 1971 ABA championship team, and Jennifer Azzi, formerly of the Utah Starzz in the WNBA, are also on the ballot.
Twenty years after playing his final game for the Utah Jazz, however, Mark Eaton remains a mountain of a man who is living, working and thriving in his adopted home state. Now 56, Eaton is a partner in the popular Salt Lake City restaurant Tuscany and a motivational speaker, whose built-from-scratch business is booming. Away from his work, Eaton resides in Park City and owns "a couple of horses," including a 27-year-old favorite named Festus. He also skis "30 or 40 days" every winter, using the sanctuary of Utah’s powder-covered slopes as a place to relax, refresh and contemplate. "For me," Eaton says, "skiing is like going to church."
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