Jazz general manager Justin Zanik underwent a physical last fall that revealed he’s suffering from kidney failure, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Doctors diagnosed Zanik with Polycystic Kidney Disease and determined that he only had 14% of his kidney left. PKD causes cysts to grow on the kidney, eventually leaving it unable to function. Zanik went through the process of finding a donor and will undergo a transplant on Tuesday.
“I’m a fixer by nature,” he said. “My job with the Jazz, my role with my family — I mean, I was a [player] agent for 15 years. I fixed a lot of s–t. I’m the one who’s supposed to help. I’m the one who’s supposed to take care of everything. I really didn’t know how to ask for help, but I had to get over it. I knew I had to get over it.”
Zanik will remain in the University of Utah’s hospital for several days once the procedure is complete, and doctors will need a few weeks to monitor how his body adjusts to the new kidney. He’ll recuperate for most of April, but he has told friends that he expects to be fully running the team again in time for draft day in June and the start of free agency in July.
The Jazz released a statement as Zanik prepares for Tuesday’s operation: “The Utah Jazz send our love and support to General Manager Justin Zanik, his wife Gina, and their family as Justin prepares for a kidney transplant to address polycystic kidney disease (PKD), a genetic disorder that affects kidney function. JZ is an instrumental part of our organization, and we look forward to his return in the coming weeks.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Jazz rookie Brice Sensabaugh had been struggling with his three-point shooting before going 5-of-10 from beyond the arc Sunday night, notes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Sensabaugh said it’s been an adjustment getting used to the NBA’s longer three-point line. “It’s not crazy, but during the flow of the game, it’s not even the distance, but the line can mess with your head sometimes. It’s just like kind of a mental thing a little bit,” he said.
- Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert was upset after battling for a rebound with Chicago’s Alex Caruso on Sunday, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “I had a knee injury a couple years ago on the same play and missed a month because someone ran into my knee,” Gobert said. “I hope they look at this, because if they don’t hold people accountable, I’m gonna hold them accountable myself.”
- Nuggets center Nikola Jokic isn’t concerned about the inflammation that’s forcing him to play with tape on his right wrist, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. “I don’t know if rest can help me. In my opinion, it is an injury that I can play with,” Jokic said Sunday after posting 26 points, 18 rebounds and 16 assists in Sunday’s win over Cleveland. “I feel it, but I can play with it. It kind of bothers me. So, I am kind of used to it.”
Best wishes for a full and speedy recovery for JZ! Go Jazz!
Saw the Caruso play on Gobert. Kinda like a chop block. No way Caruso wants to hurt another player. It is a situation in which tall players are vulnerable
Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is no joke. Getting a kidney transplant, while it will save his life, the medications will likely have to suppress his immune system.
Otherwise, your body tends to reject the new organ as foreign. Hopefully, they found a perfect match so that’s not the case.
Praying for his recovery and treatment.
I don’t understand why the 3-point distances are different at the college and professional levels. It’s literally a foot; just homogenize it and move on. At this point, it’s just introducing an extra adjustment step when making the transition
Not sure what this has to do with anything above, but probably because college players tend to be much smaller on average.
Plus, not that many college players go on to play pro ball. You’re talking about accommodating a small percentage.
Isn’t the point of calling it the “pro 3-point line” by being further back? Otherwise, if college is just as far back, you’ll see a huge dropoff in points, which are already low in comparison.
It takes time to build up your body to shoot normally from that far and still play fullcourt ball.
Try shooting it for yourself. That extra distance really makes it much harder. Makes you shoot the ball differently.
I say keep them progressively harder like they are now.