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Utah Jazz
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The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The franchise began in 1974 in New Orleans, but the team moved to Utah in 1979 after just five seasons.
The Jazz were one of the most unsuccessful teams in the league in their early years, and it would be 10 years before they made a playoff appearance (in 1984).
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Encyclopedia
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The franchise began in 1974 in New Orleans, but the team moved to Utah in 1979 after just five seasons.
The Jazz were one of the most unsuccessful teams in the league in their early years, and it would be 10 years before they made a playoff appearance (in 1984). They would not miss the playoffs again until 2003. During the late 1980s, John Stockton and Karl Malone arose as the franchise players for the team, and formed one of the most famed point guard/power forward duos in NBA history. Led by coach Jerry Sloan, who took over for Frank Layden in 1988, they became one of the powerhouse teams of the 1990s, culminating in two NBA Finals appearances in 1997 and 1998, where they lost both times to the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls. Both Stockton and Malone moved on in 2003 and after missing the playoffs for 3 seasons, they have returned to prominence under the on-court leadership of the franchise duo of point guard Deron Williams and power forward Carlos Boozer, seen by many to have taken over the mantle left by Stockton and Malone.
Franchise history
Early years in New Orleans
In 1974 the Jazz franchise began in New Orleans, Louisiana. The team's first major move was to trade for star player Pete Maravich from the Atlanta Hawks for 2 first-round draft picks, 3 second-round picks, and 1 third-round pick over the next 3 years. Although he was considered one of the most entertaining players in the league and won the scoring championship in 1977 with 31.1 points per game, the Jazz's best record while in New Orleans was 39-43 in the 1977-78 season. Maravich struggled with knee injuries from that season onward.
Venue issues were a continual problem for the team while in New Orleans. In the Jazz's first season, when they played in the Loyola University Fieldhouse, the basketball court was raised so high that the players' association made the team put a net around the court so that players wouldn't fall off of the court and into the stands. They played their later seasons in the Superdome, but things were no better due to high demand for the stadium, Maravich's knee problems and onerous lease terms. For instance, during the 1977-78 season, the Jazz were in the midst of a playoff drive when Mardi Gras festivities forced the team on a month-long road trip. Even if they had made the playoffs that year, they would have been forced to find another place to play in the event of a conflict.
1979-85: Move to Utah
By 1979, the Jazz were sinking under the weight of $5 million in losses over five years. Original owner Sam Battisone decided to move to Salt Lake City, even though it was a smaller market than New Orleans at the time. However, Salt Lake City had proven it could support a pro basketball team when it played host to the American Basketball Association's Utah Stars from 1970 to 1976. The Stars had been extremely popular in the city, but their financial picture inexplicably collapsed in their last two seasons, and they folded in December 1975 after playing only 16 games of the ABA's final season. Although Salt Lake City was not known for its jazz culture, the team decided to keep the name, as well as the team's original colors of green, purple and gold (the colors of Mardi Gras).
The Jazz's attendance actually declined slightly after the team's move from New Orleans to Utah, due to a late approval for the move (June 1978) and poor marketing in the Salt Lake City area. They continued to struggle for six seasons, in part due to a move to the tougher Midwest Division.
1985-90: Early Stockton and Malone era
In 1984, the Jazz drafted point guard John Stockton from Gonzaga University and the next year added the second half of one of the NBA's greatest pairings in power forward Karl Malone from Louisiana Tech. In both the 1984-85 and 1985-86 seasons, the Jazz barely scraped into the playoffs. In 1986, the Jazz traded Adrian Dantley to Detroit. During the next few seasons, the Jazz began to establish themselves as a respectable team in their own right. Center Mark Eaton was, perhaps, one of the more notable defensive players of the era. And for their part, Stockton and Malone soon became superstars. Stockton and Malone developed into a very effective combo, running pick-and-roll plays with great success. "Stockton to Malone" became a common phrase, as Stockton regularly found ways to pass the ball to Malone in good scoring position. Despite the regular season successes, however, the Jazz were never able to advance past the second round of the NBA Playoffs during the 1980s. During the 1988-89 season, Frank Layden stepped down as head coach to become president of the Utah Jazz. Assistant coach Jerry Sloan took over head coaching duties. Sloan guided the Jazz to their first 50-win season ever with a 5131 record, also winning the Midwest Division. Once again, however, the Jazz flopped in the postseason, losing to the Golden State Warriors in the first round.
1990s
Throughout the early 90's the Jazz playoff woes continued, with the Jazz losing in the first round in 1990 to the Phoenix Suns and in the second round in 1991 to the Portland Trail Blazers. In 1990-91, the Jazz acquired Jeff Malone, and after the 1991-92 season they waived veteran Darrell Griffith. In 1991 the Jazz also moved out of the old Salt Palace and into the new Delta Center. In 1992, the Jazz finally made it to the conference finals, losing to the Portland Trail Blazers in six games. In 1993, the Jazz had a disappointing run in the playoffs again, losing to the Seattle SuperSonics in the first round. During the 1993-94 season, the Jazz traded Jeff Malone to the Philadelphia 76ers for shooting guard Jeff Hornacek, who provided high three-point and free throw shot percentage. The Jazz made the playoffs with a 5329 record, shutting down NBA scoring leader David Robinson and San Antonio 31, then fought off a determined, upstart Denver Nuggets team 43 in the Conference semi-finals (almost blowing a 3-0 series lead), and advanced to the Conference finals, where they lost to the eventual NBA champion Houston Rockets 41.
In the 1994-95 season, the Jazz had significant depth and talent at their disposal and were expected to make a serious run for the championship. The Jazz finished with a 6022 record during the regular season. Despite this, however, the Jazz lost to the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs in five games. Big man Greg Ostertag was added to the team for the 1995-96 season, and the Jazz reached the conference finals for the third time in history, almost overcoming a 31 deficit and narrowly losing to the Seattle SuperSonics 43.
1996-97: The NBA Finals years
In the next two seasons, the Jazz were finally able to capitalize on their regular season success. In 1996-97, The Jazz had their best record in franchise history at 6418, with such players as Stockton, Malone, Hornacek, Russell, Ostertag, Antoine Carr, Howard Eisley, and Shandon Anderson. They finally reached the NBA Finals for the first time ever after beating the Los Angeles Clippers 30, Los Angeles Lakers 41, and Houston Rockets 4-2 to meet Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals. A three-pointer at the buzzer by John Stockton in Game 6 of the 1997 Western Conference Championship sent the Jazz to the finals. This shot remains one of the highlight shots of the Jazz franchise. In the 1997 NBA Finals, the Jazz lost to the Bulls 42, after losing the last two in the final seconds of the games (9088 and 9086). Malone won the MVP for the regular season for the first time ever.
During the offseason, the Jazz made no significant changes to their roster. During the 1996-97 season, expectations were high for another championship run. However, Stockton suffered a serious knee injury before the season began and missed the first 18 games. Despite the setback, the Jazz were still able to finish at 6220. In the playoffs they beat the Rockets 32, the Spurs 41, and the Los Angeles Lakers 40 to advance to their second NBA Finals appearance in a row. Utah, an aged core made up of veterans Stockton, Malone and Hornacek, were facing a Lakers squad comprised of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, two young superstars of the NBA at the time. Though the Jazz were favored to beat the Lakers, since they owned home court advantage, there were doubters. Many felt the Lakers were far too talented and athletic and that the Jazz's age would show. Yet all thoughts of this were dispelled in game one, where the Jazz dominated the Lakers to a 11277 victory. It was the worst playoff loss in franchise history for the Lakers and set the tone for the series. Though games were far closer than what occurred in game one, Utah would go on to sweep the Lakers and return to the NBA Finals for the second straight year. In the 1998 NBA Championship, the Jazz took Game 1 at home 8885. However, the Bulls overcame a slow start to win Game 2 9388, easily took Game 3 9654 and won a closer Game 4 8682 to lead 31 in the series. The Jazz fought back to win Game 5 8381 at the United Center and the series returned to Salt Lake City, where the Jazz had always been dominant. The Jazz held a lead in most of Game 6, but the Bulls rallied, and in the last seconds of the game, Michael Jordan made a jump shot to win the game, 8786. This loss highlights the Jazz's struggles in the postseason, despite their overall, consistent success. Former referee Mike Mathis, an adament critic of current NBA officiating, did not cite the supposed offensive foul on Jordan and stated it was the correct no call in an article denouncing NBA officials following the Tim Donaghy incident. The game was also controversial because of two incidents early in the game. In the second quarter Howard Eisley made a three pointer, but the officials incorrectly ruled that the shot was taken after the shot clock expired. Later in the game, Ron Harper made a two-pointer after the shot clock expired, but this time the officials allowed it. Many Jazz fans also feel that these "phantom five" points also cost them the game, since the final margin was only one point.
1999-2003: Stockton and Malone's final years
In the 1999 season, shortened to 50 games due to a lockout, the Jazz finished the season 3713, tied with the Spurs for the best record in the league. They defeated the Sacramento Kings in five games in the first round of the playoffs. However, they lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Portland Trail Blazers. Despite yet another disappointment, Malone was awarded his second MVP.
During the 1999-00 season, the Jazz finished 55-27 and won the Midwest Division but once again struggled in the postseason, losing to the Portland Trail Blazers, again during the second round. During the offseason, Hornacek retired and Howard Eisley was traded in a four-team deal that brought in Donyell Marshall. They selected promising high school basketball star DeShawn Stevenson in the first round of the NBA Draft. In the 2000-01 season, they went 5329, but their playoff woes once again struck when they blew a 20 series lead in the first round of the playoffs to the Dallas Mavericks, a team that had not made the playoffs since 1990.
In the 2001-02 season, Andrei Kirilenko made his rookie debut, but overall the Jazz began to show their age and dwindling talent. The Jazz finished just 4438 and lost to the Sacramento Kings 31 in the first round of the playoffs. In 2002-03, Marshall and Russell moved on to other teams. Matt Harpring, however, was brought over from the Philadelphia 76ers, contributing to the offense and experiencing his best season. The Jazz approached 50 wins going into the playoffs, ultimately going 4735 and again losing to the Kings 41. After the season, the end of an era came when Stockton retired and Malone moved to the Lakers in the hunt for a championship ring with several other future Hall-of-Famers (The Lakers fell to Detroit in the Finals the following season, after which Malone retired).
2003-2006: Rebuilding
In the 2003-04 season, the Jazz finished with a 42-40 record. The team featured several unheralded players who emerged into key contributors, including Kirilenko, Raja Bell, Matt Harpring, and Carlos Arroyo. In particular, Kirilenko demonstrated versatility on both offense and defense and earned a spot in the All-Star Game. Kirilenko helped the team late into the season's playoff hunt, in which the Jazz missed out by just one game to the Denver Nuggets, ending their 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.
In the 2004 offseason, the Jazz obtained free agents Carlos Boozer (from the Cleveland Cavaliers) and Mehmet Okur (from the Detroit Pistons) and Greg Ostertag left as a free agent to the Sacramento Kings. The franchise was again expected to contend in the West. The season began well for the Jazz, but a series of injuries, first to Arroyo and Raul Lopez, and later to Boozer and Kirilenko, caused the team to fall to the bottom of the division. There were rumors of internal discontent between the younger players and Sloan, leading to the trading away of Arroyo mid-season to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Elden Campbell (who was immediately waived). They ended the 2004-05 season with a record of 2656, their worst since the 1981–1982 season.
In the summer of 2005, the Jazz continued to shape their roster by dispatching some of their underperforming young players and trading three draft picks in order to acquire the #3 pick overall, with which they selected point guard Deron Williams of the University of Illinois. Raja Bell left the team for the Phoenix Suns, the Jazz re-obtained Greg Ostertag from the Kings, and oft-injured point guard Raul Lopez was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies.
The 2005-06 season was injury-plagued before it even started; Boozer missed the first 49 games and Gordan Giricek and Kirilenko both missed significant time due to injuries. Okur and Kirilenko, however, showed consistently good play, while Williams, despite a midseason slump, did not disappoint. However, rumors of discontent between Jerry Sloan and the young players persisted, while team owner Larry Miller continually expressed his displeasure with the team's effort. They stayed in the playoff race until the third-to-last game, when they lost to the Dallas Mavericks. The Jazz ended the season 4141 and just 3 games out of the playoffs. Ostertag retired at the end of the season, having spent 10 of his 11 seasons with the team.
In the 2006 NBA Draft, the Jazz selected promising University of Arkansas shooting guard Ronnie Brewer in the first round and in the second round selected point guard Dee Brown and power forward Paul Millsap. Several young players were traded away for Golden State Warriors guard Derek Fisher, giving them a veteran point guard. The Jazz were heralded by several major sports websites for drafting well and making good offseason moves.
2006-: Deron and Boozer Era: Returning to the Playoffs
The Jazz developed a very deep and well-rounded team during the 2007 season. Boozer mostly avoided injuries (although missed his first All-Star game selection due to a minor leg injury) and Okur, who had developed a reputation as a great clutch shooter, was selected to the All-Star game as well (as an injury replacement). Deron Williams improved considerably, finishing second in the league in assists per game with 9.3 (behind Steve Nash). The team also developed a deep bench; in the 10 games that Boozer and Okur (the two leading scorers) missed, the team went 8-2. Paul Millsap became one of the biggest surprise rookies of the year and became a competent backup to Boozer. Despite the elevated play of the Jazz's budding stars, Kirilenko showed a significant drop in his statistics and had struggles adapting to his reduced role. This eventually led to a well-publicized breakdown early in the first round of the playoffs. The Jazz clinched the playoffs as the #4 seed with a 51-31 record.
The Jazz went on to face the Houston Rockets in the first round. The series was a physical, close-fought one, with each of the first 6 games being won by the home team. The Jazz were able to break this trend in the 7th game, beating the Rockets 103-99 in Houston. The Jazz then went on to face the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors, who were coming off a historic upset of the #1-seeded Dallas Mavericks (who had gone 67-15 in the regular season, one of the best in NBA history). However, the Jazz easily handled the Warriors, winning the series 4-1. The Jazz went on to face the San Antonio Spurs, fresh off a controversial victory over the Phoenix Suns, in the Western Conference Finals, but were eliminated from the playoffs 4-1.
During the offseason, the Jazz gained a hometown D-League affiliate in the Utah Flash (based in Orem), that they share with the Boston Celtics. During the offseason, the Jazz selected shooting guard Morris Almond in the first round, although ultimately they made few lineup changes. The most significant move was in letting Derek Fisher go. Fisher had also become a fan favorite due to his daughter's well-publicized battle with a rare form of eye cancer; he moved to Los Angeles during the offseason to be closer to better care for his daughter , and later signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom he won 3 championships from 2000-2002. Offseason controversy arose after Kirilenko led his Russian national team to a win in EuroBasket 2007 (the European championship), a tournament in which he was named MVP. After this, Kirilenko posted on a blog that he wished to be traded from the Jazz and would be willing to walk away from his contract. He later reaffirmed this in interviews. However, no trade was made and Kirilenko has since backed off these requests (although he has also not said that he has changed his mind).
During the 2007-08 season, after a trade that sent disgruntled shooting guard Gordan Giricek to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Kyle Korver, the Jazz ran off a record-tying 19 game home winning streak and improved on the road after a rough December. Despite the offseason controversy and trade talk, Kirilenko elevated his play, improving all stats from the previous season and seeming content with his new role more as a defender and a facilitator as opposed to a scorer. Carlos Boozer again won an All-Star selection, while Deron Williams continued to elevate his play, averaging 13.3 assists per game in March (as opposed to 10.5 for the season as a whole). The Jazz finished the regular season 5th best in the west with a 54-28 record. That included a 37-4 home record, but they did not have a good year on the road going 17-24, which included two defeats against the Minnesota Timberwolves (22-60) and a loss against the league worst Miami Heat (15-67). They also sold out all 41 home games for the first time since the 1997-98 season. They won their division, giving them the no. 4 seed in the playoffs. Once again, they faced 5th seeded Houston in the opening round of the playoffs with the Rockets (55-27) having homecourt advantage over the Jazz (54-28). The Jazz struck first with a 93-82 victory over the host Rockets in Game 1, followed by another victory 90-84 to give them a 2-0 edge returning to Salt Lake City. In Game 3 The Rockets quickly rebounded with a rare win in Salt Lake, but were halted after another Utah win on April 26 to put the Jazz up 3-1 in the series. However, the Jazz suffered a staggering loss in Game 5 in Houston, 95-69. The Jazz countered this embarrassing defeat by dealing the Rockets a 22-point blowout loss to give them the series-clinching victory 113-91, thus eliminating the Rockets for the second time in as many years.
Utah faced the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of The 2008 NBA Western Conference Semi-Finals which began on May 4 at Staples Center. It was the first time these two franchises had competed in a post-season series since the 1998 Western Conference Finals. Four individuals from that series were present in this one: Laker players Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher, and Utah Head Coach Jerry Sloan and Assistant Coach Phil Johnson. Conversely, it was also the first playoff series meeting between Coach Sloan, and Lakers' Head Coach Phil Jackson since the Chicago Bulls defeated the Jazz in the NBA Finals that same year, 4 games to 2. Utah lost game 1 and game 2 in Los Angeles. However the Jazz held up their great home winning record by defeating Los Angeles in Games 3 and 4. The Jazz lost game 5 in L.A. and were eventually eliminated in Game 6 at home - a game where they trailed by as much as 19 in the second half, only to come back in the last two minutes. Their season ended with two desperate 3-point attempts by Mehmet Okur and Deron Williams as time expired that would have sent the game to overtime.
On November 7,2008 Jerry Sloan had little to complain about Friday. The unbeaten Jazz raced to a 29-point halftime lead en route to a 104-97 home victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, making Sloan the first NBA coach to win 1,000 games with one team.
On February 20, 2009, Jazz owner Larry H. Miller died of complications from diabetes. During his final months as team owner, his family, led by his son Greg Miller, ran the day-to-day business operations of the Jazz. His seat is now occupied by a rose and the Utah Jazz wear a special patch on their uniforms to honor Larry H. Miller
Rivals
The Houston Rockets have been a frequent rival of the Utah Jazz. They continually met in the playoffs during the 1980s and especially the 1990s. They first met 1985, when the Jazz defeated the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. The Jazz and Rockets met each other 4 times in 5 years during the mid-90s. They met in the conference finals in both 1994 and 1997, with the Rockets winning the first time and the Jazz the second time. In 1995 the Rockets beat the Jazz 3 - 2 and 1998, the Jazz defeated the Rockets in the first round, with the Rockets taking the #1-seeded Jazz to the full 5 games in 1998. The rivalry was re-ignited in the 2007 and 2008 playoffs, where the Jazz defeated the Rockets in the first round both times. In the old Western Conference, Utah and Houston were divisional foes; however, the Jazz have since relocated to the Northwest Division, while Houston is now in the Southwest Division.
The Jazz, as one of the dominant team of the 1990s, struck up a rivalry with the Eastern Conference Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls that resulted in the Jazz meeting and losing to them in the 1997 and 1998 NBA championships. The Portland Trail Blazers, who share their division, were a frequent rival throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. More recently, the San Antonio Spurs, who shared the division with the Jazz until 2004, the Denver Nuggets, and the Los Angeles Lakers have become heated rivals. The Jazz have lost 20 consecutive games on San Antonio's home court dating back to 1999.
Olympians
On Monday, June 23, 2008, it was officially announced that team members Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer were selected for the 2008 U.S. Olympic basketball team that participated in the 2008 Summer Olympics in China. The Jazz were the only team in the NBA with two players on the 2008 U.S. Olympic squad. The Redeem Team was awarded the gold medal.
Williams and Boozer joined former Jazz players John Stockton and Karl Malone as the only Jazzmen to be selected to play for the U.S. team. Stockton and Malone won gold medals at the 1992 and 1996 Olympic games.
Andrei Kirilenko also represented his home country of Russia at the 2008 games.
Season-by-season records
Home arenas
In New Orleans
In Salt Lake City
Players
Current roster
Depth chart
Basketball Hall-Of-Famers
Persons associated with the Jazz in the Hall of Fame
Retired numbers
- 1 Frank Layden Head Coach, 1981-88
- 4 Adrian Dantley, F, 19791986
- 7 Pete Maravich, G, 197479
- 12 John Stockton, G, 19842003
- 14 Jeff Hornacek, G, 19942000
- 32 Karl Malone, F, 19852003
- 35 Darrell Griffith, G, 198091
- 53 Mark Eaton, C, 198293
Broadcasters
Franchise leaders
- Career
- Games: John Stockton (1,504)
- Minutes Played: Karl Malone (53,479)
- Field Goals Made: Karl Malone (13,335)
- Field Goal Attempts: Karl Malone (25,810)
- 3-Point Field Goals Made: John Stockton (845)
- 3-Point Field Goal Attempts: John Stockton (2,203)
- Free Throws Made: Karl Malone (9,619)
- Free Throw Attempts: Karl Malone (12,963)
- Offensive Rebounds: Karl Malone (3,501)
- Defensive Rebounds: Karl Malone (11,100)
- Total Rebounds: Karl Malone (14,601)
- Assists**: John Stockton (15,806)
- Steals**: John Stockton (3,265)
- Blocked Shots: Mark Eaton (3,064)
- Turnovers: Karl Malone (4,421)
- Personal Fouls: Karl Malone (4,462)
- Points: Karl Malone (36,374)
- Per Game
- Minutes Played: Truck Robinson (43.35)
- Field Goals Made: Adrian Dantley (10.65)
- Field Goal Attempts: Pete Maravich (22.75)
- 3-Point Field Goals Made: Jeff Hornacek (0.92)
- 3-Point Field Goal Attempts: Bryon Russell (2.32)
- Free Throws Made: Adrian Dantley (8.27)
- Free Throw Attempts: Adrian Dantley (10.11)
- Offensive Rebounds: Truck Robinson (3.50)
- Defensive Rebounds: Truck Robinson (11.42)
- Total Rebounds: Truck Robinson (14.92)
- Assists: John Stockton (10.51)
- Steals: John Stockton (2.17)
- Blocked Shots: Mark Eaton (3.50)
- Turnovers: Pete Maravich (4.25)
- Personal Fouls: Danny Schayes (3.85)
- Points: Adrian Dantley (29.58)
- ** - Leads NBA
Head coaches
*Games completed through May 16, 2008
External links
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