John Tonje wants to give a special shoutout to NBA veteran P.J. Tucker.
Back in July 2015, in the offseason during his time with the Phoenix Suns, Tucker held an all-day basketball camp at The Salvation Army Omaha North Community Center. Tonje, who had just finished 8th grade, was there.
It was a monumental moment for Tonje that left a lasting imprint on him. Today, as a budding NBA figure himself, Tonje is attempting to create similar moments for young fans through his involvement in community programs, and particularly on the recent Junior Jazz road trip.
“We had never seen an NBA player before in Omaha, and we thought that was the coolest thing ever,” Tonje said. “I was like swarming him, trying to be around him, asking him all these questions.
“To this day I don’t really even know how or why he was there, but he was the coolest, so that’s why I feel like I’m able to have a little bit more patience with the kids, because I was that kid.”
But it wasn’t just patience that Tonje was exhibiting during the Junior Jazz trip. In rowdy groups of toddlers, teens and every age in between, he was playful and interactive and talked to the kids about what sportsmanship means.
He gave extra time, made sure to listen to the kids and even tried to help when they misplaced some of their personal belongings in the gym.
“The best thing is seeing their excitement and kind of seeing myself in them,” Tonje said. “I knew how big and how fun it was just to be at a basketball camp, let alone with an NBA player, like that was unheard of for me.
“I’m trying put myself in their in their shoes again and it’s been really easy, and it’s been super fun.”
Utah Jazz rookie John Tonje, right, coaches kids at a basketball clinic at Tabiona School in Tabiona on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News 
Utah Jazz rookie John Tonje coaches kids at a basketball clinic at Tabiona School in Tabiona on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News 
Utah Jazz rookie John Tonje coaches kids at a basketball clinic at Tabiona School in Tabiona on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News 
Utah Jazz rookie John Tonje, left, coaches kids at a basketball clinic at Tabiona School in Tabiona on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News 
Utah Jazz rookie John Tonje coaches kids at a basketball clinic at Tabiona School in Tabiona on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News 
Utah Jazz rookie John Tonje, left, hands Swayde Carter, 8, a basketball during a basketball clinic at Tabiona School in Tabiona on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News 
Utah Jazz rookie John Tonje, center, coaches kids at a basketball clinic at Tabiona School in Tabiona on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News 
Kids run a lap during a basketball clinic coached by Utah Jazz rookie John Tonje at Tabiona School in Tabiona on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News 
Tate Potter, 7, prepares to shoot the ball as Utah Jazz rookie John Tonje coaches kids at a basketball clinic at Tabiona School in Tabiona on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News 
Tyken Rhoades, 12, participates in an exercise as Utah Jazz rookie John Tonje coaches kids at a basketball clinic at Tabiona School in Tabiona on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News 
Andi Jones, 4, cheers during a basketball clinic coached by Utah Jazz rookie John Tonje at Tabiona School in Tabiona on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News 
Utah Jazz rookie John Tonje coaches kids at a basketball clinic at Tabiona School in Tabiona on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News 
Khyse Carter, 11, cheers during a basketball clinic coached by Utah Jazz rookie John Tonje at Tabiona School in Tabiona on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News 
Korver Pippy, 9, cheers during a basketball clinic coached by Utah Jazz rookie John Tonje at Tabiona School in Tabiona on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News 
Utah Jazz rookie John Tonje coaches kids at a basketball clinic at Tabiona School in Tabiona on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News 
Utah Jazz rookie John Tonje coaches kids at a basketball clinic at Tabiona School in Tabiona on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News 
Utah Jazz rookie John Tonje coaches kids at a basketball clinic at Tabiona School in Tabiona on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News 
Utah Jazz rookie John Tonje coaches kids at a basketball clinic at Tabiona School in Tabiona on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News 
Utah Jazz rookie John Tonje coaches kids at a basketball clinic at Tabiona School in Tabiona on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News 
Utah Jazz rookie John Tonje coaches kids at a basketball clinic at Tabiona School in Tabiona on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News 
Utah Jazz rookie John Tonje coaches kids at a basketball clinic at Tabiona School in Tabiona on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News 
Utah Jazz rookie John Tonje coaches kids at a basketball clinic at Tabiona School in Tabiona on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News 
Utah Jazz rookie John Tonje coaches Swayde Carter, 8, center, at a basketball clinic at Tabiona School in Tabiona on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News 
Utah Jazz rookie John Tonje takes a selfie with kids at a basketball clinic at Tabiona School in Tabiona on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News 
Utah Jazz rookie John Tonje coaches kids at a basketball clinic at Tabiona School in Tabiona on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News 
Utah Jazz rookie John Tonje autographs shirts for kids at a basketball clinic at Tabiona School in Tabiona on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
The Junior Jazz road trip is a long-standing tradition that was initiated in the 1980s alongside the Junior Jazz program. The program had parties wherein children could come to the team’s arena and meet Jazz players, but with over 120 individual programs in five states — Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Arizona, Nevada — that meant that a lot of the children wouldn’t be able to attend events at the Delta Center.
The road trip aims to connect Jazz players with children who might not otherwise have the chance to meet them or even ever see them in person, particularly those in more remote areas. Each trip typically consists of two one-week excursions wherein the player hosts a one-hour basketball clinic at each stop alongside the youth programs manager, Kaitlynn Chambers.
These sessions give the kids an opportunity to engage directly with the Jazz player through various basketball activities, and some of the kids even get a chance to play against the Jazz player, as one kid is selected to play one-on-one against the Jazz player and then five are selected to play one-on-five against him.
“Some of the kids do come with a lot of trash talk,” Tonje said with a laugh, “and they’re actually talking trash before we play so that’s how I select the kids — the ones that are talking trash and the ones that look confident when they raise their hand when they’re asked who wants to play.”
Tonje knows that he will inevitably end up dunking on the kids or hitting a 3 over them, but that’s part of the fun. They will proudly, for the rest of their lives, have the story that when they were a kid, they played against John Tonje and got dunked on.
Spent some time with John Tonje yesterday. Got a couple of good stories coming soon. Until then here’s some video of him playing 1v5 against children 😂
— Sarah Todd (@nbasarah.bsky.social) August 8, 2025 at 4:16 PM
In addition to the clinic, every child has the chance to get an autograph and a photo with the player, making the experience a lasting one.
“It’s just so cool to see them light up and realize ‘I’m going to be able to watch this guy play basketball on TV, and he’s here, and I get his autograph and I have a picture with him,’” Chambers said.
““It’s just such a unique opportunity for these kids, especially in these smaller towns, to have a player come out and play on their court, too, where they get to play.”
The players involved often vary based on availability, and although it often features rookies, it has included various players over the years. John Stockton went on the Junior Jazz road trip in his rookie season, Jeremy Evans loved the experience and volunteered for the road trip several years in a row and Walker Kessler went on the road trip after his rookie season when he was even more of a household name.
Earlier this summer, Jazz two-way player Oscar Tsiebwe went on the first leg of the road trip with stops in Northern Utah and Idaho. Tonje went on the second leg with stops Herriman, Nephi, Delta, Fillmore, Castle Dale, Moab, Green River, Price, Roosevelt, Duchesne and Tabiona.
“It’s been really fun because John is super energetic,” Chambers said. “He was really surprised at our first stop when a kid had actually drawn a picture of him. He was like, ‘Wait, these kids actually know my name?’
“He was pretty excited at how excited the community was to meet him specifically. Utah is a fanbase that does their homework. They know who’s coming.”
Some kids printed out photos of Tonje to have them signed, and one family even special ordered a new Jazz jersey with Tonje’s name on the back, which was the first time he’d seen his jersey outside the practice facility.
So while the kids were having moments they’ll never forget, that was actually one that Tonje will always remember.