Utah Jazz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Utah Jazz
Conference	Western
Division	Northwest
Founded	1974
History	New Orleans Jazz 1974–1979 Utah Jazz 1979–present
Arena	Delta Center
Location	Salt Lake City, Utah
Team colors	Spotlight yellow, key black, gray, white
Main sponsor	LiveView Technologies (LVT)
CEO	Danny Ainge
President	Jim Olson
General manager	Justin Zanik
Head coach	Will Hardy
Ownership	Ryan Smith
Affiliation(s)	Salt Lake City Stars
Championships	0
Conference titles	2 (1997, 1998)
Division titles	11 (1984, 1989, 1992, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2007, 2008, 2017, 2021, 2022)
Retired numbers	9 (1, 4, 7, 9, 12, 14, 32, 35, 53, 1223)
Association Icon Statement

The Utah Jazz are a professional basketball team from Salt Lake City, Utah. They play in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as part of the Western Conference. Since 1991, their home games have been at the Delta Center.

The team started in 1974 as the New Orleans Jazz. They were named after the famous jazz music of New Orleans. In 1979, the team moved to Salt Lake City, Utah.

In their early years, the Jazz struggled to win. It took them 10 seasons to reach the playoffs for the first time in 1984. After that, they became a very strong team. In the late 1980s, John Stockton and Karl Malone became the team's biggest stars. They were known for their amazing "pick and roll" plays.

Led by coach Jerry Sloan, the Jazz became one of the best teams in the 1990s. They reached the NBA Finals twice, in 1997 and 1998. However, they lost both times to the Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan.

Stockton and Malone left the team in 2003. After a few years of missing the playoffs, the Jazz got good again with point guard Deron Williams. Later, stars like Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell helped the team become one of the best in the league during the 2020–21 season. But after losing in the playoffs, the Jazz traded Mitchell and Gobert in 2022. Now, the team is rebuilding around new star Lauri Markkanen.

Team History

1974–1979: Starting in New Orleans

Pete Maravich played for the Jazz from 1974 to 1980.

On June 7, 1974, the New Orleans Jazz joined the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a new team. The team's first big move was trading for star player Pete Maravich. He was a very exciting player who had played college basketball at LSU.

The team had some problems with their home arenas in New Orleans. The basketball court was sometimes raised so high that players worried about falling off! Also, New Orleans had high taxes and the team often had to play many games away from home during Mardi Gras.

1979–1984: Moving to Utah and new beginnings

The team's owner decided that New Orleans was not the best place for the Jazz. So, he chose to move the team to Salt Lake City, Utah. Salt Lake City had a popular basketball team before, the Utah Stars. Even though Salt Lake City wasn't known for jazz music, the team kept the name "Jazz" because there wasn't enough time to change it before the 1979–80 season started.

Attendance for the Jazz was a bit low at first in Utah. In 1981, the team's general manager, Frank Layden, also became the coach. In 1983, the team started to play much better. They won their division for the first time in team history.

1984–2003: The Malone and Stockton era

When the Jazz picked John Stockton in the 1984 NBA draft, some fans were not happy. But Stockton would become one of the greatest players in Jazz history. The 1984–85 season saw Mark Eaton become a defensive star. He blocked an amazing 5.6 shots per game, which is still an NBA record!

In 1985, Larry H. Miller bought half of the team. He later bought the rest of the team, keeping the Jazz in Utah. In the 1985 NBA draft, the Jazz added Karl Malone, who quickly became a top player. Malone and Stockton would form one of the best duos in NBA history.

In 1988, Jerry Sloan took over as head coach. The team kept getting better, winning 51 games in the 1988–89 season. Malone and Stockton were both chosen as All-Stars. Mark Eaton won Defensive Player of the Year for the second time.

1990–1996: Becoming a championship contender

The Jazz continued to improve. In 1990, they traded for Jeff Malone, who added more scoring power. The team won 54 games in the 1990–91 season. They made it to the second round of the playoffs but lost to the Portland Trail Blazers.

In 1991, the Jazz moved into a new, modern arena called the Delta Center. This was a big improvement from their old stadium. The team had their best season yet, winning 55 games and their division. They reached the Western Conference Finals for the first time, but again lost to Portland.

In 1993, the Jazz traded for Jeff Hornacek. He fit in perfectly with Stockton and Malone. The team reached the Western Conference Finals again in 1994, but lost to the Houston Rockets. In 1995, the Jazz had a great season, winning 60 games. But they lost in the first round of the playoffs. In 1996, they made it to the Conference Finals for the third time, losing to the Seattle SuperSonics.

1996–1998: Reaching the NBA Finals

The Jazz finally reached the NBA Finals in 1997. They had their best record ever, winning 64 games. Karl Malone won his first NBA MVP award. The Jazz beat the Clippers, Lakers, and Rockets to reach the Finals. There, they faced Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. The Jazz lost the series 4–2 in close games.

The next season, 1997–98, the Jazz were expected to be contenders again. Even though Stockton missed some games due to injury, the team finished with 62 wins. In the playoffs, they beat Houston and San Antonio. Then, they swept the Los Angeles Lakers to reach the NBA Finals for the second year in a row.

In the 1998 NBA Finals, the Jazz again played the Chicago Bulls. The series was very close. The Jazz won Game 1 in overtime. But the Bulls won the series 4–2. In the final seconds of Game 6, Michael Jordan made a famous shot to win the game and the championship.

1998–2003: Final years of Stockton and Malone

In the 1999 season, which was shorter due to a player lockout, the Jazz had the best record in the league. Malone won his second MVP award. However, they lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Jazz continued to win their division in 2000, but again lost in the second round. After the 2000 season, Jeff Hornacek retired. In 2001, the Jazz lost in the first round of the playoffs. They also lost in the first round in 2002 and 2003.

After the 2003 season, John Stockton retired. Karl Malone left to play for the Los Angeles Lakers. This marked the end of a very special era for the Jazz.

2003–2005: Life after Malone and Stockton

Without their two biggest stars, many people thought the Jazz would be one of the worst teams. But they surprised everyone by finishing with a winning record of 42–40 in the 2003–04 season. Andrei Kirilenko became an All-Star. The Jazz missed the playoffs by just one game, ending a streak of 20 straight playoff appearances.

The next season, 2004–05, the team had many injuries. They finished with a poor record of 26–56.

2005–2010: The Williams and Boozer era

Deron Williams

Carlos Boozer

In 2005, the Jazz drafted Deron Williams. They also added Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur. The 2005–06 season was still affected by injuries, but the team improved to 41–41.

The Jazz got much better in the 2006–07 season, finishing with 51 wins. Boozer and Okur were selected as All-Stars. Williams became one of the league's top players in assists. The team had a strong group of players.

In the playoffs, the Jazz beat the Houston Rockets in a tough seven-game series. Then, they easily beat the Golden State Warriors. The Jazz reached the Western Conference Finals, but lost to the more experienced San Antonio Spurs.

The 2007–08 season saw the Jazz win 54 games. They were very strong at home. They again faced the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs and won. But they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round.

The 2008–09 season was hard due to many player injuries. On February 20, 2009, Jazz owner Larry H. Miller passed away. His son, Greg Miller, became the new CEO. The Jazz made the playoffs but lost to the Lakers again.

In the 2009–10 season, the Jazz finished with 53 wins. Williams was selected for his first All-Star Game. They beat the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs. But for the third year in a row, they were swept by the Los Angeles Lakers.

2010–2017: Rebuilding the team

2010–2013: Changes and new players

Paul Millsap in 2010

In the 2010 NBA draft, the Jazz picked Gordon Hayward. Carlos Boozer left to join the Chicago Bulls. The Jazz then traded for Al Jefferson. They also brought back Raja Bell. The team changed its colors and logo back to the classic "music note" design.

The 2010–11 season started well, but the team struggled later. On February 10, 2011, longtime head coach Jerry Sloan resigned. Tyrone Corbin became the new head coach. A week later, the Jazz traded star player Deron Williams to the New Jersey Nets. This trade brought in new players like Derrick Favors and Devin Harris. The Jazz finished the season with a losing record and missed the playoffs.

In the 2011 NBA draft, the Jazz picked Enes Kanter and Alec Burks. After the 2011–12 season, Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko left the team. In 2012, the Jazz traded Devin Harris for Marvin Williams. They also signed Mo Williams and Randy Foye.

Before the 2013–14 season, Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson left the team. The Jazz missed the playoffs again.

2013–2017: Hayward and Gobert shine

Dante Exum was drafted fifth overall in 2014

In the 2013 NBA draft, the Jazz picked Rudy Gobert. In 2014, they drafted Dante Exum and Rodney Hood. Quin Snyder was hired as the new head coach.

The Jazz finished the 2015–16 season with a winning record but just missed the playoffs. In the 2016–17 season, the Jazz won 51 games and made the playoffs. They beat the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round, their first playoff series win since 2010. They then lost to the Golden State Warriors. Gordon Hayward and Rudy Gobert had amazing seasons. Hayward was named an All-Star, and Gobert was named to the NBA Defensive First Team.

After the season, Gordon Hayward left the Jazz to sign with the Boston Celtics.

2017–2022: The Gobert and Mitchell era

2017: Donovan Mitchell arrives

Rudy Gobert

Donovan Mitchell

In the 2017 NBA draft, the Jazz traded for Donovan Mitchell. He quickly became a star. The team started the 2017–18 season slowly, but Mitchell's great play helped them improve. He led all rookies in scoring. The Jazz finished with 48 wins and made the playoffs. They beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round before losing to the Houston Rockets. After the season, Rudy Gobert was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

2018–2020: Playoff challenges

The 2018–19 season started with high hopes, but the Jazz struggled early. However, Mitchell's play improved, and the team finished strong with 50 wins. They made the playoffs but lost to the Houston Rockets again.

In 2019, the Jazz made many changes to their team, adding players like Mike Conley Jr. and Bojan Bogdanović. Salt Lake City was also chosen to host the 2023 NBA All-Star Game. The Jazz traded for Jordan Clarkson, which was a very good move for the team.

In January 2020, Gobert and Mitchell were both named All-Stars. In March 2020, Gobert and Mitchell were diagnosed with COVID-19. This led to the NBA season being stopped for a while. When the season restarted in the "NBA Bubble," the Jazz made the playoffs. Donovan Mitchell had an amazing 57 points in one playoff game. But the Jazz lost a 3–1 series lead and were eliminated by the Denver Nuggets.

After the season, Mitchell and Gobert both signed big contract extensions to stay with the Jazz.

2020–2021: Top team in the league

Joe Ingles was on the Jazz for eight years from 2014 to 2022. He is the Jazz's all time leader in three point field goals

In October 2020, Ryan Smith bought the Utah Jazz from the Miller family. In April 2021, basketball legend Dwyane Wade also bought a part of the team.

The Jazz had an incredible 2020–21 season, starting with a record of 23 wins and only 5 losses. Coach Quin Snyder was chosen to coach the Western Conference All-Star team. Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, and Mike Conley Jr. were all selected as All-Stars. This was only the second time in Jazz history that three players were All-Stars in the same season!

On May 16, 2021, the Jazz won their final game to finish with the best record in the entire NBA for the first time ever. Jordan Clarkson was named the Sixth Man of the Year. In the playoffs, the Jazz beat the Memphis Grizzlies. But they lost to the Los Angeles Clippers in the second round, even after winning the first two games.

The Jazz had another good season in 2021–22, with Mitchell and Gobert again being All-Stars. They made the playoffs but lost to the Dallas Mavericks.

2022–present: The new era with Lauri Markkanen

After the 2022 season, the Jazz made big changes. On July 1, 2022, they traded Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Then, on September 1, 2022, they traded Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers. These trades brought in many new players and future draft picks, including Lauri Markkanen.

On June 5, 2022, Coach Quin Snyder resigned. The Jazz then hired Will Hardy as their new head coach.

On February 2, 2023, Lauri Markkanen was selected as an All-Star for the first time. He was even chosen as an All-Star starter! Markkanen also competed in the Three-Point Contest. The Jazz team of Collin Sexton, Walker Kessler, and Jordan Clarkson won the NBA's team skills challenge.

The Jazz made more trades in February 2023, including trading Mike Conley Jr.. The Jazz finished the 2022–23 season with a losing record and missed the playoffs. However, Lauri Markkanen won the NBA Most Improved Player Award.

In the 2023–24 season, the Jazz missed the playoffs again. A bright spot was Keyonte George being named to the All-Rookie second team.

Team Arenas

• Loyola Field House (1974–1975)
• Municipal Auditorium (1974–1975)
• Louisiana Superdome (1975–1979)
• Salt Palace (1979–1991)
• Delta Center (1991–present)

Team Mascot

The Jazz's mascot is Jazz Bear. He was first seen on November 4, 1994. He often entertains the crowd during halftime, sometimes riding onto the court on a motorbike!

Team Colors and Uniforms

New Orleans Jazz Uniforms

When the Jazz were in New Orleans, their uniforms were white with gold and purple. The road uniforms were purple with gold and white. These colors were chosen to match the famous Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

Utah Jazz Uniforms

When the team moved to Utah in 1979, they made small changes. The home uniforms stayed white. The road uniforms changed to dark green in 1981, then back to purple in 1984.

In 1996, the Jazz completely changed their look. They used new colors: purple, copper, and turquoise. Their new logo showed the Wasatch Range mountains. The uniforms had a mountain design on the chest. They also added an alternate black uniform in 1998.

In 2004, the Jazz changed their colors again to navy blue, powder blue, and silver. The logo was updated with these new colors. They also added a powder blue alternate uniform in 2006.

In 2010, the Jazz brought back their classic "J-note" logo. The new uniforms combined old and new styles, using navy blue, gold, and dark green. They also added a green alternate jersey in 2011.

In 2016, the Jazz updated their logos and uniforms again. They made their wordmark logo the main one. They also added new green and navy alternate uniforms.

In 2017, with Nike becoming the NBA's uniform provider, the Jazz introduced a gold "Statement" uniform. They also had "City" uniforms inspired by Utah's red rock formations, with colors like gold, orange, and black.

For the 2022–23 season, the Jazz brought back their classic 1996–2004 purple "mountain" uniforms as a "City" uniform. They also introduced new black, white, and yellow uniforms. These new colors were not very popular with fans.

Starting in 2023–24, a "remixed" version of the "mountain" uniforms replaced the classic ones. For the 2024–25 season, the Jazz will gradually bring back more modernized "purple mountains" uniforms.

Throwback Uniforms

The Jazz have worn throwback versions of their old uniforms many times. They wore replicas of their 1986–96 white uniforms in 2003–04. In 2009–10, they wore the 1979–1984 green uniforms.

For the 2018–19 season, the Jazz wore a modern version of their 1984–1996 purple uniforms. In 2019–20, they wore a modern version of their 1996–2004 purple "mountain" uniforms, which they wore in the NBA Finals. For the 2023–24 season, the Jazz wore their original 1974–75 purple uniforms to celebrate the team's 50th anniversary.

Team Personnel

Retired Numbers

The Jazz have honored many important people by retiring their jersey numbers. This means no other player on the team will ever wear that number again.

Utah Jazz retired numbers
No.	Player	Position	Years with Jazz	Date Retired
1	Frank Layden	Head coach	1981–1988	December 9, 1988
4	Adrian Dantley	F	1979–1986	April 11, 2007
7	Pete Maravich	G	1974–1980	December 14, 1985
9	Larry H. Miller	Owner	1985–2009	April 14, 2010
12	John Stockton	G	1984–2003	November 22, 2004
14	Jeff Hornacek	G	1994–2000	November 19, 2002
32	Karl Malone	F	1985–2003	March 23, 2006
35	Darrell Griffith	G	1980–1991	December 4, 1993
53	Mark Eaton	C	1982–1993	March 1, 1996
1223	Jerry Sloan	Head coach	1988–2011	January 31, 2014
	"Hot" Rod Hundley	Broadcaster	1974–2009	January 29, 2010

• The NBA retired Bill Russell's No. 6 for all its teams on August 11, 2022.

Basketball Hall of Famers

Several players and coaches who were part of the Jazz have been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Team Leaders

Here are some of the Jazz's all-time leaders in different categories (as of the end of the 2023–24 season):

• Points Scored: Karl Malone (36,374), John Stockton (19,711), Adrian Dantley (13,635)
• Rebounds: Karl Malone (14,601), Rudy Gobert (7,119), Mark Eaton (6,939)
• Assists: John Stockton (15,806), Karl Malone (5,085), Rickey Green (4,159)
• Steals: John Stockton (3,265), Karl Malone (2,035), Rickey Green (1,100)
• Blocks: Mark Eaton (3,064), Andrei Kirilenko (1,380), Rudy Gobert (1,357)

Individual Awards

Many Jazz players and coaches have won important NBA awards:

• NBA MVP: Karl Malone (1997, 1999)
• NBA Rookie of the Year: Darrell Griffith (1981)
• NBA Defensive Player of the Year: Mark Eaton (1985, 1989), Rudy Gobert (2018, 2019, 2021)
• NBA Sixth Man of the Year: Jordan Clarkson (2021)
• NBA Most Improved Player: Lauri Markkanen (2023)
• NBA Coach of the Year: Frank Layden (1984)

NBA All-Star Selections

Many Jazz players have been chosen to play in the NBA All-Star Game:

• Pete Maravich (1977–1979)
• Adrian Dantley (6 times)
• Karl Malone (14 times)
• John Stockton (10 times)
• Mark Eaton (1989)
• Andrei Kirilenko (2004)
• Carlos Boozer (2007, 2008)
• Mehmet Okur (2007)
• Deron Williams (2010, 2011)
• Gordon Hayward (2017)
• Rudy Gobert (2020–2022)
• Donovan Mitchell (2020–2022)
• Mike Conley Jr. (2021)
• Lauri Markkanen (2023)

Broadcasters

The Jazz games are shown on TV and heard on the radio. For many years, KJZZ was the main TV station for the Jazz. In 2009, the team moved to AT&T SportsNet. In 2023, the Jazz announced they would return to KJZZ-TV for their games. They also launched a streaming service called Jazz+ so fans can watch games online.

The Jazz's main radio stations are KZNS (1280 AM) "The Zone" and KZNS-FM (97.5 FM).

Head Coaches

See also

In Spanish: Utah Jazz para niños