60 Fun Facts About Utah Jazz

In which city did the Jazz franchise begin play as an expansion team in 1974?

The name paid homage to the city as the birthplace of jazz music; it made far less sense after the 1979 move to Utah.

What is the name of the arena the Jazz have called home since 1991?

They share it with the NHL's Utah Mammoth; the old Salt Palace seated just over 12,000.

On what date did the Jazz officially relocate to Salt Lake City?

The late approval left no time to change the name before the season, so 'Jazz' stayed.

Which LSU legend did the expansion Jazz acquire from Atlanta for six draft picks?

'Pistol Pete' led the NBA in scoring in 1977 with 31.1 points a game.

Why did the Players Association make the Jazz put a net around the floor at Loyola Field House in 1974?

Venue problems dogged the team all through its New Orleans years, including a month-long road trip every Mardi Gras.

Which cavernous stadium did the Jazz play in from 1975 to 1979?

Onerous lease terms and New Orleans's 11 percent amusement tax, the highest in the nation, made it a money-loser.

Why did the franchise keep the 'Jazz' name after moving to Utah, a state with no jazz scene?

The move was only approved in June 1979, weeks before the season.

Which ABA team had played in Salt Lake City from 1970 to 1976, winning a title in its first season there?

The Stars folded 16 games into 1975–76 after missing payroll.

Which GM became head coach in 1981 and led the Jazz to their first winning season and division title in 1984?

He coached the West in the 1984 All-Star Game and stepped down 17 games into 1988–89.

What did Jazz fans at the 1984 draft party do when the team picked unknown John Stockton?

He became the NBA's all-time leader in assists and steals.

How many blocks per game did Mark Eaton average in 1984–85, still an NBA single-season record?

The 7-foot-4 centre won Defensive Player of the Year that season and again in 1989.

Which auto dealer bought 50 percent of the Jazz for $8 million in 1985 to keep the team in Utah?

He paid $14 million for the other half in 1986 to block a sale to the future founders of the Timberwolves.

Which pair bid to buy the Jazz and move them to Minneapolis in 1986, later founding an expansion team?

Larry Miller stepped in at the last minute; their Timberwolves nearly moved to New Orleans in 1994.

From which college did the Jazz draft Karl Malone in 1985?

'The Mailman' won MVP in 1997 and 1999 and left for the Lakers in 2003.

Which star of the Jazz's early Utah years was traded to Detroit in 1986 for Kelly Tripucka?

He won two scoring titles in Utah and made six All-Star teams with the Jazz.

Which coach took over 17 games into the 1988–89 season and stayed until 2011?

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009 while still coaching.

How many assists per game did John Stockton average in 1989–90, a career high that led the NBA?

Karl Malone averaged 31.0 points that season, also a career best.

Which shooting guard did the Jazz get from Philadelphia in 1994 for their second-leading scorer?

He meshed instantly with Stockton and retired after the 1999–2000 season.

What was the Jazz's franchise-best record in 1996–97, the season of their first Finals trip?

Karl Malone won his first MVP, averaging 27.4 points and 9.9 rebounds.

Which team beat the Jazz in both the 1997 and 1998 NBA Finals?

The last two games of 1997 were decided in the final seconds, and 1998 ended with Jordan's push-off jumper over Bryon Russell.

Which centre refused to report to the Jazz within 48 hours of a 1998 deadline trade, killing the deal?

He was then dealt to New Jersey instead and played only 18 more NBA games before retiring.

The Jazz's Game 3 loss in the 1998 Finals came by what lopsided score?

Utah's 54 points were the fewest in NBA Finals history at the time.

Whom did the Jazz sweep in the 1998 West finals to reach a second straight NBA Finals?

They opened with a 112–77 rout of Shaquille O'Neal, Eddie Jones and a young Kobe Bryant.

The playoff streak that ended in 2004 had lasted how many consecutive seasons?

They missed by one game to Denver in the first season after Stockton retired and Malone left.

Which point guard did the Jazz take with the third overall pick in 2005?

He was traded to New Jersey in February 2011, two weeks after Jerry Sloan resigned.

Which Jazz forward blogged that he wanted out after leading Russia to the EuroBasket 2007 title?

No trade was made and 'AK-47' stayed until 2011.

Which team eliminated the Jazz in three straight postseasons from 2008 to 2010?

The 2010 exit was a sweep, after injuries to Kirilenko and Okur.

Whom did the Jazz receive from New Jersey in the February 2011 trade of their All-Star point guard?

Kanter and Burks came in that summer's draft with picks partly from the deal.

With which pick was Rudy Gobert drafted in 2013 before Denver traded his rights to Utah on draft night?

The French centre won three Defensive Player of the Year awards with the Jazz.

From which team's staff did the Jazz hire Quin Snyder as head coach in June 2014?

He resigned in 2022 and was replaced by Celtics assistant Will Hardy.

Which team drafted Donovan Mitchell 13th overall in 2017 before trading him to Utah?

Mitchell went on to break the record for most three-pointers by a rookie.

Gordon Hayward left the Jazz in July 2017 to sign with which team, announcing it in The Players' Tribune?

He rejoined his college coach Brad Stevens, then broke his leg five minutes into his Celtics debut.

How many points did Donovan Mitchell score in Game 1 vs Denver in 2020, the third-highest playoff total ever?

Only Michael Jordan and Elgin Baylor had scored more; the Jazz still lost in overtime and blew a 3–1 series lead.

Which two Utah Jazz players tested positive for COVID-19 in March 2020, a first for North American sport?

The diagnoses triggered the suspension of the entire NBA season.

Which Qualtrics co-founder bought the Jazz from the Miller family in 2020?

He agreed to honour the Millers' legacy trust requiring the team to stay in Utah; Dwyane Wade later bought a minority stake.

Which retired star bought a minority stake in the Jazz in April 2021?

He was expected to have hands-on involvement in team operations.

Which Jazz player won the 2021 Sixth Man of the Year award, the first in franchise history?

Utah also had the NBA's best record outright that season for the first time ever.

To which team did the Jazz trade Rudy Gobert in July 2022 for a package including four first-round picks?

Walker Kessler, the 22nd pick, also came to Utah in the deal.

Which forward from the 2022 Donovan Mitchell trade became an All-Star starter and 2023 Most Improved Player?

He replaced injured Stephen Curry and Zion Williamson in the starting lineup at the 2023 All-Star Game in Salt Lake City.

What is the name of the Utah team's mascot, introduced in 1994?

He usually roars onto the court on a motorbike at halftime.

The Jazz's original purple, gold and green colours were those most associated with what?

They wore purple again in 2023–24 as part of the #PurpleIsBack 50th-anniversary campaign.

The silhouette on the Jazz's 1996–2004 'purple mountains' uniforms depicts which peaks?

The logo was designed by NBA creative director Tom O'Grady and based on the 1993 All-Star Game logo.

The Jazz's 'Red Rocks' City uniform, worn from 2017 to 2022, was inspired by what?

Its gold-orange-burgundy-black gradient returned in black and gray for 2025–26.

In which two years did Salt Lake City host the NBA All-Star Game?

Karl Malone and John Stockton were co-MVPs of the 1993 game.

Which two Jazz players shared MVP honours at the 1993 All-Star Game in Salt Lake City?

Malone had also won the award alone in 1989.

Which broadcaster called Jazz games from the franchise's first season in 1974 until 2009?

'Hot Rod' was known for calls like 'You gotta love it, baby!'

Which TV station did the Jazz's owner buy in 1993 and rename to showcase his teams?

The Jazz returned to it in 2023–24 after AT&T SportsNet shut down.

What was the Jazz's record in 2024–25, the worst in franchise history?

They became the last NBA team to suffer a 60-loss season.

The Jazz's dark green road uniforms of the early 1980s were later revived for games on which holiday?

A Kelly green 'Earned' uniform in 2021 also nodded to that look.

How many straight playoff series had the Jazz lost to Olajuwon's Rockets before beating them in 1997?

Houston knocked Utah out in 1994 and 1995 before the Jazz won the 1997 series 4–2.

The Jazz's 2010 uniform rebrand revived which classic logo?

The green-and-gold note came back with navy replacing purple.

Which venue, seating just over 12,000, did the Jazz leave in 1991 for their new downtown arena?

The new 19,911-seat Delta Center added the luxury suites and retail space the old building lacked.

Which coach replaced Tom Nissalke after the Jazz started the 1981–82 season 8–12?

He was the general manager at the time and stayed on the bench until 17 games into 1988–89.

Who was hired from the Boston Celtics staff in June 2022 to replace Quin Snyder as Jazz head coach?

Snyder had resigned on June 5, 2022, after eight seasons in charge.

Whom did the Jazz select with the fifth pick of the 2025 NBA draft?

Walter Clayton Jr. signed alongside him on July 2, as the franchise rebuilt after a worst-ever season.

Which Jazz teammate finished runner-up to Jordan Clarkson for the 2021 Sixth Man of the Year award?

That season the Jazz held sole possession of the NBA's best regular-season record for the first time in franchise history.

Rudy Gobert's five-year extension signed in December 2020 was worth how much?

At the time it was the third-largest contract in NBA history and the biggest ever for a center.

Which team swept the Jazz in the 2017 conference semifinals after Utah's first series win since 2010?

Utah had just beaten the Clippers in seven games; Gordon Hayward left for Boston that summer.

Which tough defensive forward did the Jazz acquire from Minnesota early in the 1991–92 season?

He came in exchange for fan favourite Thurl Bailey, and later coached the Jazz himself after Jerry Sloan retired in 2011.

What was the Jazz's franchise-record start to the 2020–21 season?

Quin Snyder coached the West in that year's All-Star Game, the first Jazz coach so honoured since 1984.