Utah Jazz guard Ochai Agbaji had the full attention of at least 50 kids while playing basketball in the parking lot at the Kemmerer Recreation Center on Thursday, Aug. 3. Despite wet weather conditions, participants took a jog before breaking into teams to run drills.

Rec center director Trista Gordon said that, because the gym floor is being refinished at the recreation center, they decided to let kids play in the parking lot.

Agbaji started with some facts about himself and then spent an hour playing basketball and signing autographs.

Gordon said the rec center puts on a Junior Jazz program for the younger kids in the winter months. During a webinar they began talking about doing a summer tour with a Jazz, player but didn’t know if that would be a possibility. They were happy to find out it was and started making plans for Agbaji’s visit.

“At the end of the Junior Jazz season, the Kemmerer group was nominated for the highest number of ticket redemptions at Jazz games,” Gordon said.

She said because of the efforts of Kemmerer citizens to support the Jazz, the team decided to return the favor.

“The Kemmerer kids and their families love to go to Salt Lake to see the Jazz play,” Gordon said.