Utah Jazz

• 1. Origins In New Orleans

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  On the 7th of June 1974, the National Basketball Association admitted a new franchise called the New Orleans Jazz. The team's first owner was an ownership group led by Sam Battistone. Team officials selected the name because of its definition in the dictionary: collective improvisation. The team began its inaugural season in New Orleans during the 1974, 75 season. The team colors were purple, gold, and green. These colors were those most associated with Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

  The team's first major move was to trade for star player Pete Maravich from the Atlanta Hawks. The price included two first-round draft picks, three second-round picks, and one third-round pick over the next three years. Venue issues were a continual problem for the team while it was based in New Orleans. In the Jazz's first season, they played in the Municipal Auditorium and Loyola Field House. The basketball court was raised so high that the NBA Players Association made the team put a net around the court to prevent players from falling off of the court and into the stands.

  Later, the Jazz played games in the cavernous Louisiana Superdome. Things were no better there due to high demand for the stadium, onerous lease terms, and New Orleans' 11% amusement tax which was the highest in the nation. Maravich also suffered constant knee problems. They faced the prospect of spending a whole month on the road each year because of New Orleans' Mardi Gras festivities.

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• 2. Relocation To Utah

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  Deciding the Jazz were no longer viable in New Orleans, Battistone decided to move elsewhere. After scouting several new homes, he decided on Salt Lake City even though it was a smaller market. Salt Lake City had previously been home to the Utah Stars of the American Basketball Association from 1970 to 1976. The Stars had been extremely popular in the city and had even won an ABA title in their first season after moving from Los Angeles.

  The franchise kept the name despite the lack of a jazz music scene in Utah. There was not enough time before the start of the 1979, 80 season to receive league approval for a name change. The Jazz relocated from New Orleans to Salt Lake City on the 8th of June 1979. The team's attendance declined slightly after the move partly because of a late approval for the relocation and poor marketing in the Salt Lake City area.

  In 1983, the team was losing money and management was crafting stunts such as playing games at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas to help the team become more profitable. The team was rumored to be moving as a result of Battistone's cash shortage as well as the fact they were playing in the league's smallest market. Team officials selected the name because of its definition in the dictionary: collective improvisation.

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• 3. The Stockton Malone Era

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  Jazz fans were not happy when the team picked an unknown guard in the first round of the 1984 NBA draft named John Stockton. The Jazz fans on hand for the draft party booed the selection. The 1984, 85 season saw the emergence of Mark Eaton as a defensive force. Eaton averaged 5.6 blocks per game which is still an NBA single-season record along with 9.7 points and 11.3 rebounds. He won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.

  During the 1988, 89 season Frank Layden stepped down as head coach after the first 17 games and was replaced by Jerry Sloan. The Jazz won 51 games and the Midwest Division championship as they grew better overall. Malone and Stockton, as well as Mark Eaton, were the leaders of the team and also All-Star selections. Eaton won Defensive Player of the Year for the second time.

  In 1996, 97 the Jazz had the best record in franchise history at 64, 18. They won the Midwest Division and finished with the best record in the Western Conference. Malone won his first NBA MVP award averaging 27.4 points, 9.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. The Jazz reached the NBA Finals for the first time after beating the Clippers 3, 0, Lakers 4, 1 and Rockets 4, 2. They then met Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the Finals losing the series 4, 2.

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• 4. Post Dynasty Rebuilding

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  After the season ended in 2003, Stockton retired and Malone left as a free agent to join the Los Angeles Lakers. Without Malone and Stockton, the faces of the Jazz franchise, the team lacked foundation as it went into the 2003, 04 season. They were expected to finish near the bottom of the NBA by several NBA preview magazines including Sports Illustrated. The Jazz finished with a 42, 40 record.

  The team featured several unheralded players who emerged as key contributors including Kirilenko, Raja Bell, and Carlos Arroyo. In particular, Kirilenko demonstrated versatility on both offense and defense and earned a spot in the All-Star Game. The Jazz missed the playoffs by one game to the Denver Nuggets ending a streak of 20 consecutive seasons in the playoffs. Jerry Sloan finished second in the voting for the NBA Coach of the Year Award losing to Hubie Brown of the Memphis Grizzlies.

  During the off-season the team made moves to change the roster. They acquired Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur as free agents and re-signed Carlos Arroyo and Gordan Giricek to extensions. The 2004, 05 season was marked by injuries first to Arroyo and Raúl López and later to Boozer and Kirilenko which were a large part of the team's fall to the bottom of the division.

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• 5. Modern Success And Bubble Play

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  On the 6th of June 2014 Atlanta Hawks assistant coach Quin Snyder was named the eighth head coach in team history. Snyder signed a three-year contract with a team option for a fourth. He replaced Tyrone Corbin. Prior to joining the Utah Jazz Snyder previously served as an NBA assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks Los Angeles Clippers Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers.

  The Jazz began their 2020, 21 season with an NBA-best and franchise-record 23, 5 start with Donovan Mitchell leading the team in scoring and Jordan Clarkson emerging as the frontrunner for Sixth Man of the Year. On the 16th of May 2021 the Jazz defeated the Sacramento Kings 121, 99 to clinch sole possession of the best regular season record in the NBA for the first time in franchise history. At the conclusion of the regular season Jordan Clarkson was named Sixth Man of the Year becoming the first Jazz player to win the award.

  In March 2020 Gobert and Mitchell were diagnosed with COVID-19 making the Jazz the first major sporting franchise in North America to be directly affected by the disease resulting in the suspension of all remaining NBA games of the season. Following the suspension of the 2019, 20 NBA season the Jazz were one of the 22 teams invited to the NBA Bubble to participate in the final eight games of the regular season.

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• 6. Trade Deadline Overhaul

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  On the 1st of July 2022 the Jazz traded three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award winner Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Malik Beasley Patrick Beverley Jarred Vanderbilt Leandro Bolmaro Walker Kessler four future first round draft picks and a pick swap. On the 1st of September 2022 the Jazz traded three-time All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Collin Sexton Lauri Markkanen Ochai Agbaji three future unprotected first-round draft picks and two pick swaps.

  On the 5th of June 2022 Quin Snyder announced his resignation as head coach of the Jazz. On June 29 the Jazz organization announced that Boston Celtics assistant coach Will Hardy had been hired as Snyder's replacement. The Jazz finished the 2022, 23 season 37, 45 and failed to qualify for the playoffs. At the conclusion of the season Lauri Markkanen received the NBA Most Improved Player Award.

  The Utah Jazz led by Markkanen finished the next season 31, 51 missing the playoffs once again. A highlight of the season was Keyonte George's appearance on the All-Rookie second team. The next season Russell Westbrook was acquired and waived once again by the Jazz during the offseason. They also signed sharpshooting veteran Patty Mills.

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