The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association as a member club of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Since 1991, the team has played its home games at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The franchise began play in 1974 as the New Orleans Jazz, an expansion team based in New Orleans; the Jazz moved to Salt Lake City in 1979.
The Jazz were one of the least successful teams in the league in their early years. Although 10 seasons elapsed before the Jazz qualified for their first playoff appearance in 1984, they did not miss the playoffs again until 2004. 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 from 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 Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan.
Both Stockton and Malone moved on in 2003.
Northwest Division
Location:
Salt Lake City
Arena/Stadium:
Vivint Smart Home Arena
Owners:
Gail Miller and Larry H. Miller Group of Automotive Companies
Head Coach:
Quin Snyder
Mascot:
Jazz Bear
Alec Burks
Point guard and Shooting guard
Dante Exum
Point guard and Shooting guard
David Stockton
Point guard
Derrick Favors
Power forward and Center
Donovan Mitchell
Point guard and Shooting guard
Ekpe Udoh
Power forward and Center
Erik McCree
Small forward
Georges Niang
Power forward
Jae Crowder
Power forward and Small forward
Joe Ingles
Shooting guard and Small forward
Jonas Jerebko
Power forward and Small forward
Raulzinho Neto
Point guard
Royce O'Neale
Small forward
Thabo Sefolosha
Shooting guard and Small forward