Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz are a basketball franchise in the NBA's Northwest Division. The Jazz have been an elite team for most of its existence, yet never managed to break through to win a title.

Founded as the New Orleans Jazz in 1974, the Jazz featured the pioneering basketball entertainer Pete Maravich yet never finished a season with a winning record. The owner moved the team to Salt Lake City in 1979 and decided to keep the slightly odd name.

Fortunes changed with the drafting of John Stockton and Karl Malone in 1984 and 1985 respectively. The two turned into the most devastating pair in NBA history, combining for countless pick-and-rolls and leading the Jazz to 20 consecutive playoff berths. Utah advanced to the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998, losing both times to the dynastic Chicago Bulls headed by Michael Jordan.

Stockton and Malone left the team in 2003 and a short rebuilding period followed. In 2007, coach Jerry Sloan - in his 20th season at the helm - led a young Jazz team of Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, Andrei Kirilenko and Mehmet Okur back to the Conference Finals, where they fell at the hands of the eventual champs San Antonio Spurs.

Created by: Ole