Mark Eaton signs his new book at the Jazz 100 Club in the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, March 30, 2018. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Jazz alumni Ron Boone and Mark Eaton were announced as eligible 2019 candidates for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
The Jazz currently have eight players who have played for the team inducted into the Hall of Fame and one coach in Jerry Sloan, who was inducted in 2009 along with John Stockton.
Karl Malone followed after the two Jazz legends the year after in 2010. Pete Maravich received his induction in 1987. Adrian Dantley was inducted in 2008. All other players played three or less seasons with the Jazz and some only played with the team when it was in New Orleans.
Eaton is among the North America committee nominations for players, coaches and referees. He played his whole career in Utah from 1982-1993. He was also a two time Defensive Player of the Year winning in 1985 and 1989 and he received an NBA All Star nod in 1989.
In his first Defensive Player of the Year award in 1985, Eaton set a league record of 456 blocks in a season (5.56 per game). No one else in NBA history has had over 400 blocks in a year.
Boone is a candidate nominated by the veterans committee in the direct-elect category. He now does color commentating for the Jazz radio broadcast. He played 13 seasons between the NBA and ABA (American Basketball Association). He was known as an iron man as he played in 1,041 straight games between both leagues. Good for second best in history behind A.C. Green, but Boone played at least 20 minutes in each game.
He also was part of the Utah Stars team that won the ABA Championship in 1971. He finished is playing career in a Utah Jazz uniform from 1979-1981.
Among the other notable nominees: Sloan’s old friend Johnny “Red” Kerr, Del Harris, Curt Gowdy, Marv Albert, Jim Valvano, Billy Packer, Vlade Divac, Toni Kukoc, the 1936 U.S. Olympic team, Chris Webber, Tim Hardaway, Rip Hamilton, Dale Ellis, Marcus Camby, Muggsy Bogues, Chauncey Billups, Mark Aguirre, Jack Sikma, Ben Wallace, Sidney Moncrief, Bobby Jones, Kevin Johnson, Rudy Tomjanovich, George Karl, Bob Huggins, Cotton Fitzsimmons, Bill Fitch, Rick Adelman, Rollie Massimino and Gene Keady.