"Probably do it till I go under" - Adrian Dantley on his newfound passion as a pedestrian crossing guard in Utah

NBA Hall of Famer Adrian Dantley has found a new calling in ensuring the safety of pedestrians as a crossing guard in Utah. While some of his fellow NBA legends have embarked on different ventures related to basketball, Dantley has embraced his role in the community with genuine passion and commitment.

Since ending his career as an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets in 2011, "Teach" has been actively involved in his community. He fell in love with Utah, and for Dantley, being a crossing guard is something that he sees himself doing for the rest of his life.

"I think I've been doing this for 10 years," Dantley told Utah Jazz's official YouTube channel in 2022. "10 years [and] Probably do it till I go under."

Adrian loves living in Utah

Dantley played the best seasons of his illustrious NBA career with the Jazz . Understandably, he decided to settle down in the picturesque state of Utah after officially hanging up his sneakers in 1992, following a brief stint of playing pro basketball overseas.

Both as a player and resident, A.D. loved everything about Utah. Apart from the fulfillment of serving the community, Dantley has also found great joy in calling Utah his home.

"Utah is where it started. It was a great career. I enjoyed it," the six-time NBA All-Star reflected. "I love Utah, you know when I used to tell people, 'I love Utah.' They looked at me like I was crazy, like, 'Hey, you a black guy, what is it do out there? I say, 'Hey, I'm not going to do anything anyway during the season but play basketball and sleep.' But I really like the people out there."

The Jazz felt bad for letting Adrian go

For seven consecutive seasons, Dantley played his heart out of the Jazz. However, some internal conflict with his coach saw A.D. ultimately getting traded away to the Detroit Pistons in 1986.

Looking back, the Jazz organization knew that letting Dantley go was a tough decision . Nevertheless, Adrian's love for Utah never wavered.

Besides being a crossing guard, Dantley also referees elementary and high school games in local Utah schools. From the looks of it, nothing could ever make Adrian leave Utah again.

Related: "A whole lot of backstabbing" - Adrian Dantley on why his Nuggets coaching contract wasn't renewed