The Jazz defeated the Grizzlies in Memphis on Wednesday night in a hard-fought game that Utah was able to win despite the absence of star guard Donovan Mitchell. However, getting to Memphis proved more difficult than any game, as their plane collided with a flock of birds shortly after takeoff, causing an engine failure and forcing an emergency landing in Salt Lake City.
No one was injured on board, and the plane returned safely and without incident, but the situation definitely shook everyone on board. Mitchell’s absence was revealed after the plane incident for “personal reasons,” and Jordan Clarkson said after the game on Wednesday that he understood why Mitchell didn’t want to make the trip after such a scare.
Clarkson also went into more detail about what he saw from inside the aircraft, claiming he heard a loud boom and people in the back saw fire shooting out of the cockpit, with many assuming they were going to die in a plane crash — and thanking the pilot for bringing them down safely and staying calm in the face of such adversity.
Mike Conley shared similar feelings about what he saw, and it’s obvious that no one on that plane will forget what happened.
Thankfully, nothing bad happened and they were able to land, and hopefully, everyone involved would be able to move on from what was obviously a stressful experience, particularly considering the amount of plane travel NBA players would endure.
