Utah Jazz History
The Jazz begain in 1974 in New Orleans. they where the 18th team to join the NBA. and soon after joining the NBA, the team acquired local fan favorite "Pistol" Pete Maravich. Maravich would become the Jazz first star, leading the team in scoring their first four years.
But the early years of the Jazz where not good ones. the Jazz had dismal season after dismal season. the team tried to fix this problem by acquiring guys like Spencer Haywood, and Lenard Robinson. but nothing helped. the team continued to lose money until in 1979 the team announced they where moving.
The team chose Salt Lake City, Utah as their new home. Salt Lake City had just finished hosting one of the best final four match-ups off alltime. plus they also had supported the Utah Stars of the ABA(American Basketball Association). to get the needed funds to move, the team pulled of one of the greatest trades in team history. by sending Haywood to the Lakers for Adrian Dantley. the team also had to trade the #1 overall pick to the Lakers for cash. that pick would become Erving "Magic Johnson.
But the Jazz first few years in Salt Lake City where no better then in New Orleans. actually the team was worse. and after only a few games in Salt Lake City, the team released longtime star Pete Maravich, who later signed with the Celtics. In 1980 they selected Darrell Griffith in the draft, then in 1982 they selected Dominique Wilkins and Mark Eaton in the draft. Wilkins was later traded to Atlanta, having never played a game with the Jazz. in 1983 the Jazz drafted Thurl Bailey. the Jazz also added point gaurd Ricky Green. with the cards now in place all the Jazz needed was a coach, that would be Frank Layden.
in the 1983-84 season, the Jazz finaly had a winning season. with a record of 45-37 the Jazz won their first midwest division title. the team would go on to face Denver that year, and won their first two games at home. but the Jazz would lose the next two too the Nuggets. before finaly winning game 5, and advancing. the Phoenix Suns would drop the Jazz in the next round 4-1.
In the 1984 draft, the Jazz took a little know point gaurd out of Gonzaga. his name was John Stockton. Stocktons rookie year the Jazz made it to .500, and got the 13th pick in the draft, which they used to take Louisiana Tech. star. Karl Malone.
the 1985-86 season was a differnt on in Jazz history. both Stockton and Malone begain to show signs of greatness. and at the end of the season the Jazz traded Dantley to Detroit, and elected not to resign Rickey Green. the new look Jazz begain their road that would lead them to the top of the NBA. that year the Jazz played in what could be called one of the greatest NBA series in playoff history. they took the world Champion Los Angeles Lakers to 7 games. and that finaly put Utah on the NBA stage.
during the 88-89 season head coach Frank Layden stepped down, allowing assistant coach Jerry Sloan to take over. the Jazz once again won the midwest but got swept by the Golden State Warriors.
In 1992 the Jazz finaly made it past the second round, and battled the Portland Trailblazers for the right to play the Bulls in the NBA finals. the Jazz lost 4-2. the Jazz once again made the Western conferance finals in 1994, lead by Stockton and Malone, and newly acquired shooting gaurd Jeff Hornacek, the Jazz fell to the eventual NBA Champs, Houston.
the Jazz would lose in 1995 to the Rockets in the first round, after blowing a 5 point lead in game 5's final minute. the next year the Jazz battled back. with youngsters Bryon Russell, and Greg Ostertag in the line-up the Jazz where the third seed in the 1996 playoffs. the Jazz where tied going into game 5 with the Portland Trailblazers, when the Jazz gave the Blazers one of the biggest thrashing in NBA playoff history. 102-64. the Jazz would go on to face long time rival San Antonio. the Spurs would be no match for the Jazz, as the Jazz won 4-1. the Jazz would face Seattle for the Western championship, and after a long 7 game series the Jazz once again fell short of making the NBA finals.
but 1997 would be a differnt year. the Jazz won 60 games for just the second time in their history. and for the first time they where the #1 seed. winning the midwest title for the 3rd time. the Jazz would face the Los Angeles Clippers. in what didnt even seem like a playoff series the Jazz dismantled the Clippers, and went on to face the Lakers. the Lakers where lead by Shaquille O'Neal, and Eddie Jone, but they had a very good rookie named Kobe Bryant. the Jazz won game 1 fairly easy, but game 2 was a bit harder. Jazz forward Antoine Carr would hit 2 free throws with 2 second left to put the Jazz up by 2. then Lakers Rookie Kobe Bryant took a three to win it, but it missed badly. After Greg Osterag got hurt, and Karl Malone got Ejected the Lakers won game 3, but the Jazz would come back, and win games 4, and 5. the Jazz would face the Houston Rockets in the Western finals. before the start of game 1, Karl Malone was named league MVP. and the Jazz took games 1 and 2. but on going back to Houston the Rockets took games 3 and 4. with the series now tied, the Jazz won game 5 in Salt Lake City, and then went back to Houston for game 6. the Rockets built a 12 point 4th quarter lead with 4 minutes to go, and it looked like there would be a game 7. then John Stockton got a fast break layup, and another, then a jumpshot. and another. and soon the Jazz and Rockets where tied up. after a Clyde Drexler missed jumper the Jazz got the ball back. Russell would find a wide open John Stockton, who hit the greatest shot in Jazz history. giving the Jazz a 103-100 victory, and a 4-2 series win.
The Jazz would face the Micheal Jordan lead Chicago Bulls. the Jazz and Bulls where tied in the finals seconds of game 1, when Malone missed 2 free throws, and then Micheal Jordan hit a game winning jumper to give the Bulls the win. the Bulls easily took game 2. the Jazz would answear in Salt Lake, winning games 3 and 4. but a very ill Michael Jordan lead the Bulls to a game 5 victory. then in the closing minutes of game 6, Steve Kerr hit a last second jumper to give the Bulls the title.
The Jazz would begain the 1997-98 season with-out vetran John Stockton who had to have knee surgery. but after his return the Jazz went on the win not only a franchise best, but a league best 64 games. the Jazz would once again face Houston in the playoffs. this time in the first round. the Rockets won game 1, then the Jazz won game 2. but after Houston won game 3, Rockets forward Charles Barkley said "now the rabbit has the gun" but it wouldn't be so. the Jazz would win the next 2, and the series. the Jazz would face San Antonio, and their twin towers of David Robinson, and Rookie Tim Duncan. the jazz would win this seires 4-1. the Jazz once again faced the Lakers, but after a game 1 thrashing which handed the Lakers their worst playoff lose ever, the momentum was on the Jazz side. the Jazz went on to sweep the Lakers, adn wait the winning from the East. after a 10 day layoff the Jazz and Bulls begain the NBA finals. with the Jazz taking a game 1 win. the Bulls would win the next 3 games. including an embarassing win over the Jazz where the Jazz scored just 49 points. a low since the shot clock had been put in. the Jazz won game 5, and with a 3 point lead with a minute to go, it looked like they would take game 6. but Micheal Jordan hit a jumper, then with seconds to go, he stole the ball from Karl Malone, and hit the game winner.
after half the season was locked out, the NBA begain play in Febuarary of 1999. the Jazz would tie the Spurs for the best record in the NBA, but the Spurs had the tie breaker. the Jazz would go on to lose to Portland in 6 in the second round.
the next few years would be hard for the Jazz, they never would regain their glory, and eventually became the lower seeds in the playoffs. twice falling to the pacific champions Kings. then in 2003 John Stockton announced his retirment, and Karl Malone left to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers.