Jazz: Matthews 'born a champion'

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As fuzzy as his "bits and pieces" memories might be, the fact doesn't change that Wesley Matthews was around not one but two Los Angeles Lakers championship teams with his father before he even celebrated his second birthday.

With Wes Matthews playing a reserve role on the Lakers' 1987 and 1988 title teams, Wesley not only went to NBA Finals games while he was still a baby but rode in the championship parade and received a ring of his own.

"He had his little Laker hat on, he had his little Laker gear on," Wes said this week. "He was the talk of the town, he was the talk of the parade. Everybody loved Wes when he was a little kid. He was always running around the locker room.

"He'd shake Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar's] and everybody's hand and then he'd just grab his ball and then he was in his own world at 2 years old. I would always say and always tell his mother, he was born a champion."

With those bloodlines in mind, Wesley will step on to the playoff stage for the first time Saturday when the Jazz face Denver in Game 1 of their first-round series. It will be another chapter in the already improbable rise of the undrafted rookie from Marquette.

After making the Jazz's roster in training camp on a non-guaranteed contract, Matthews went on to start 48 games in his first NBA season, one more than Deron Williams did after coming to the Jazz as a No. 3 overall pick in 2005.

Along the way, Matthews earned a reputation for being a tough defender and solid player. The Jazz went 32-16 with Matthews starting and the 29 points he scored in a March 14 game at Oklahoma City were the most by a Jazz rookie since Karl Malone.

Only three father-son combinations -- most recently Luke Walton and Bill Walton -- have played for championship teams in NBA history. The others are Rick Barry and Brent Barry and Matt Goukas Sr. and Matt Goukas Jr.

"It'd mean a lot to win a championship regardless of the family background you have," Wesley said. "But for my father to be a part of it and to get one myself would be a great feeling."

"Just watching him going through what he's going through right now is every father's dream," Wes said. "It's beautiful, I'm proud of him, he's making a name for himself. He's enjoying the game, he's playing the game properly and that's all you want to see."

Matthews first made an impression on Jazz coach Jerry Sloan during summer-league play -- despite averaging just 6.2 points and shooting 34.8 percent -- and Sloan has praised him regularly since.

"I said, 'If you come and play defense and work at your defensive game, you can help our team and you'll be able to play,'" Sloan said. "But little did we know he was going to get as many minutes as he got."

Matthews took advantage of his opportunity with C.J. Miles and Kyle Korver out injured to start the season. "He was in shape to play and compete and not lose his concentration, and he's done a good job for us," Sloan said.

"For him to really work and to succeed and for him to be doing what he's doing right now, I couldn't have never dreamed of it," Wes said. "But I'm sure he has and I'm sure he's had visions of helping lead this team and just being an impact."

If he has any reservations about starting a rookie in the playoffs, Sloan isn't letting on. Matthews matched up against LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant and could see time guarding Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups in the upcoming series.

"That's always a possibility," Sloan said of a trial by fire, "but he's stood up to most of the things. He has a thing or two go wrong once in a while but as long as keeps playing hard and keeps his nose to the grindstone, I think he'll be just fine."

After going 2-for-8 with six turnovers in Wednesday's loss to Phoenix, Matthews took the blame for the Jazz's collapse on his shoulders. "I can't do that again," Wesley said. "For this team to be successful, I can't do that again."

"It's not a matter of proving [something]," he added. "I just want to play, I want to play hard, play tough and help this team win in every way possible, so a game like this, personally for me, it just hurts because I feel like let these guys down more than anything."

From his home in Atlanta, Wes has watched his son play and followed the Jazz all season, even noting before Wednesday's game that he was looking forward to the halftime ceremony honoring late owner Larry Miller.

He described his son as a perfect fit for the Jazz's system, has been impressed by the way the team has weathered injuries, said he's looking forward to the possibility of a Jazz/Lakers series and is convinced of one thing about their playoff fortunes.

"The only people that can beat them are the Utah Jazz," Wes said. "Nobody beats them. They beat themselves."