The phone call came at a bad time. He was eating dinner. It could wait. Mike Conley had no plans to be in Atlanta during his break.
Then, a Jazz official told him the league office needed a word.
“I called the number back and they said ‘We’ve got some good news. There’s a spot in the 3-point Contest at the All-Star game. If you’re available,’” Conley recalled.
After 14 years of being recognized as one of the best players never to make an All-Star team, Mountain Mike earned a spot on the 2021 squad as an injury replacement for Phoenix’s Devin Booker. He finished second in the 3-point Contest and scored 3 points in his run with Team Durant.
Nice work, @MCONLEY10!
Made the champ work for it pic.twitter.com/WHRosudJYJ
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) March 8, 2021
Conley’s second season in Utah showed what he’s all about. He averaged 16.2 points, 6 assists, and 3.5 rebounds on career best efficiency from three (41%).
Dealing with hamstring issues during the playoffs, Conley still delivered masterful performances against the Memphis Grizzlies in Round 1. 22 points, 11 assists, and 6 rebounds, 20-15-4, and 27-8-6. All in consecutive games. The Jazz closed out his former team in 5 games.
“We obviously knew and felt the underlying pressure of being up 3-1 again. At the same time, we also know that this team is different. This team has grown a lot since then. We learned a lot from that,” Mike Conley said after winning the first round series.
The follow up in the second round ended differently. Conley was sidelined until Game 6 where he played 25 minutes and scored 5 points.
The veteran point guard enters this offseason as a free agent.
“It’s something I have to sit back and consider with my family and when that time comes I have to make the decision that is best for us.”
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