Dec 27, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center Mo Bamba (4) warms up prior to the game against the Golden State Warriors at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Mo Bamba Opens Up on Mindset Joining Utah Jazz

Originally posted on Utah Jazz on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Oct 6, 2025 2:56 PM ET

Among the Utah Jazz's 21-man training camp roster, the latest addition to that bunch, veteran big man Mo Bamba, comes into the picture as one of the three names on an Exhibit 10 contract ahead of the regular season, being in the building for team practices and preseason before the real action kicks off at the end of the month.

It's the sixth team for Bamba in four years, the sixth-overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, and a home in Salt Lake City that could very well be temporary by the end of preseason as the Jazz slim their roster down to 18.

So what's his mentality entering into a situation like he's got in Utah?

Instead of focusing on the outside narratives, Bamba's centered in on proving himself right.

"Part of being in the NBA for as long as I've been, is knowing there's a narrative out there," Bamba said during Jazz media day. "A lot of my years have been spent on, 'How do I dispell it? How do I prove people wrong?' But, I think it's shifted toward a mentality of 'How can I prove myself right?"

Bamba also enters a situation with the Jazz where he's got an extremely young group surrounding him, even another top lottery pick in Ace Bailey that'll be taking on his rookie year starting at the end of October.

During his time with the Jazz, Bamba has made sure to give some guidance and advice to Utah's fifth-overall pick from this summer, while also trying not to lean too far over the edge of overwhelming.

"I try to not overwhelm with too much, but I try to give him enough to where it's easy to get to. If you overload a rookie, like, Ace [Bailey] is 19 years old. If you overload them with too much information, a lot of things become forgettable," Bamba said.

"I try to give him tidbits to where it's easy to remember, it's easy to relate. That way, I try to position him to be as successful as possible."

However long Bamba stays in Utah, he's locked in on not only improving and bettering his game, but also the likes of those around him, like Bailey. Time will tell if his tenure spans into the regular season, but in the meantime, the now-eighth-year big man seems to be making a solid impact in the building.

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