The Utah Jazz plays to hear the sweet sound of an NBA championship

Have you ever wondered why the Utah Jazz is called that? New Orleans, Louisiana, was the birthplace of jazz, right? In fact, the NBA team, the Utah Jazz, was originally the New Orleans Jazz. The Jazz played in New Orleans from 1975 to 1979. When the team moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, it kept the original team name.

Here are some interesting facts about Utah:

o The name Utah comes from the Native American Ute

o Utah’s nickname is “Beehive State”

o The state bird is ironically the California gull

o The Utah state flag contains a beehive, symbolizing diligence

o Major industries include agriculture, mining, natural gas, oil, and steel production.

Utah Jazz’s opening season in the NBA included some bitter notes. They lost their first game to the Portland Trailblazers and finished the season 24-58. Although the Jazz’s first season was disappointing, they were beginning to create a solid foundation on which to build the franchise.

Less than two decades after entering the NBA, the Jazz team played sweet music. In particular, the duo of John Stockton and Karl Malone created one of the best one-two shots in the league. In 1996-1997, the Jazz had the best franchise at 64-18 during the regular season.

The Jazz would slide through the playoffs. They sank the Los Angeles Clippers (3-0), drowned the Los Angeles Lakers (4-1) and eliminated the Houston Rockets in a war (4-2). In the NBA Finals, the Jazz faced Michael Jordan and the mighty Chicago Bulls. Although the Jazz played closely with the Bulls, the Bulls dominated them and won the series (4-2).

Having established a solid team, the Jazz would hit all the right notes during the upcoming regular season, finishing with an excellent 62-20 record. In the playoffs, the Jazz would fight to knock down the Houston Rockets (3-2), unseat the San Antonio Spurs (4-1) and then drain the Los Angeles Lakers (4-0).

Many NBA experts chose the Utah Jazz to end the Bulls’ five-championship dynasty. However, the Jazz fell behind in the 3-1 series and never recovered. In Game 6, Michael Jordan wished the Bulls victory and a 4-2 series.

How have the Jazz fared since their last trip to the NBA Finals? While they have made seven playoff appearances and won three division crowns, the furthest they have advanced was to the Western Conference Finals (2007).

Throughout its history, the Jazz have retired the numbers of seven players:

Adrian Dantley – # 4 (Forward): 1979-1984

Mark Eaton – # 53 (Center): 1982-1993

Darrell Griffith – # 35 (Guard): 1980-1991

Jeff Hornacek – # 14 (Guard): 1993-2000

Karl Malone – # 32 (Forward): 1985-2003

Pete Maravich – # 7 (Guard): 1974-1980

John Stockton – # 12 (Guard) 1984-2003

It is inevitable that some of these players will also enter the Basketball Hall of Fame.

While the Utah Jazz have earned two trips to the NBA Finals, they haven’t completed their song. Use Utah Jazz merchandise to cheer on the team to the sweet sound of an NBA championship!