The Utah Jazz are taking on their first of 41 home games for the 2026-27 season on Friday night as the New Orleans Pelicans travel to Salt Lake City for a date at the Delta Center.
It marks the first time the Jazz will be back in the building for a regular season showing since the end of their prior campaign back in April.
And for this one, Utah will be looking a whole lot healthier, rested-up, and ready for a big win compared to where this roster stood back at their last appearance here.
Those around the Jazz roster are also growing increasingly eager to take on that home opener in front of some of the best fans in the league located in Utah.
That's especially so for Keyonte George, who had loads of praise for the fans leading up to his first game back in front of their home crowd.
What Keyonte George Said About Jazz Fans Before Their Home Opener
George issued some of his thoughts surrounding the Jazz's home opener vs. the Pelicans in the hours ahead of Friday's tip-off.
And you could tell pretty easily that George is pumped up for the action that's due to unfold for the night ahead––which is particularly because of the Jazz fans he'll be playing in front of at the Delta Center.
"It's going to be great to be back," George said of the Jazz's season opener. "I've said it on the record: I feel like we've got the best fans in the league. They show up, they're loud. Everybody's in their seats when the game starts."
"I just think we've got something special here in Utah... So, I mean, first one, let's make a good impression on them."
— Utah Jazz On SI (@JazzOnSI) October 23, 2026Keyonte George had a ton of praise for Jazz fans ahead of Utah's home opener vs. the Pelicans:
🗣️ "It's going to be great to be back. I've said it on the record: I think we've got the best fans in the league..."
"I'm always excited to play in the 801, bro... Every time we've… pic.twitter.com/N30mBPZqCN
Of course, any home opener for a new season is special in its own right. It marks the first of many exciting nights where the players out there on the floor can feed off the energy of the home crowd, and that's especially so in Utah when surrounded by some rabid Jazz fans.
But there's a case that this home opener for the Jazz can carry a bit more juice than they've been accustomed to in recent memory.
Not only does this year expect to be a transformative one for this Utah roster potentially en route to their first winning season since 2022, but it'll also mark the first time this home crowd has seen their new prized rookie, Darryn Peterson, on the floor for an official regular season contest.
And for George, while the home opener marks a matchup that he and the rest of this roster are thrilled to take on, that excitement for him could also be attributed to any game played in front of the Delta Center crowd he's played in front of for the past three seasons.
"I'm always excited to play in the 801, bro," George said. "The fans, they've been here since I've been here. They're in their seats ready to watch the game from start to end. Every time we've got a home game, it's hard for me to sleep at night. I'm just ready to get out there, man."
"The lights, the smoke, everything that we do in the Delta, I'm always excited to play in the 801, man. Every time."
The Jazz and Pelicans will tip off their action on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. MT, where George and the rest of Utah's roster will hope to bounce back from their humbling season opener blowout against the Memphis Grizzlies back on Wednesday.
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