Frank Layden. They broke the mold.

Thanks Judit. He meant a lot to me and for that matter, Salt Lake City.

I have many examples of his generosity, too many to share, but I'll share a story Frank Layden told at the funeral of Dave Blackwell, his friend and former-Jazz beat writer for the Deseret News and host of a Jazz call-in talk show. I was Dave's radio engineer for a year. 

Dave and Frank had a great relationship. “Blacks” as he was known to some, called Frank while they were in Boston for a Jazz/Celtics game.

“Frank, you wanna go to the Red Sox game tonight? I got box seats behind the plate and a limo ride to the game. All we have to do is get a ride back to the hotel.”

A life-long baseball fan who grew up in Brooklyn with his Dodgers, and who went to Arizona each spring for spring training, Frank took Dave up on the offer to go see the Red Sox and sure enough, everything went as planned. Including the need for a ride back to their hotel.

As they were leaving Fenway Park, they walked by a bar and as was their habit, they tended to go in bars, not past bars. So they went in to wet their whistle.

Behind the bar is a giant painting of “Pistol Pete” Maravich, a college star at LSU and ball handling wizard who at one time late in his career played for the Utah Jazz as the marquee player for the fledgling franchise trying to draw crowds. .  

Dave piped up to the bartender and said “Hey, do you know who this is? This is Frank Layden Coach of the Utah Jazz. He used to coach “Pistol Pete.” Internally, without piping up, Frank disagreed, telling those at Dave’s funeral “I never coached Pete Maravich. That was before my time.” But Dave may have had a plan.

While not nearly as notoriously cheap as Jazz announcer “Hot Rod” Hundley, Dave could pinch a penny now and again. After a bit, Dave told the bartender they needed a ride back to the hotel they were at and asked if he could help. The bartender was happy to try and went to his phone to make a call. After hanging up, he looked up at Dave and said “About 15 minutes.” So Dave and Frank killed the time and then suddenly, one of Boston’s finest walks in. “Hey Tommy, how ya doin’? bellowed the bartender. The policeman responded, “Pretty good, Billy. Whatcha got?” Billy pointed out Frank and Dave and said “These two fellas right here.” “OK fellas, let’s go,” said Boston’s newest taxi driver. Thrilled at the idea of a free ride back to the hotel, Frank and Dave hopped in the patrol car and headed off.

But their timing was unfortunate, and as they pulled up to the Marriott Hotel in Boston and exited the police car, who should be walking out of the front door to witness their arrival but David Stern, Commissioner of the NBA.      

https://www.ksl.com/article/51343423/former-utah-jazz-coach-frank-layden...

Great video story - https://media.ksl.com/1652288724-50403165.mp4