Formerly known as the New Orleans Jazz; the Utah Jazz got their start in Salt Lake City by relocating from a struggling market. The Jazz have built their forever home in the Delta Center; the house that Larry H. Miller built. Larry H. Miller, the former owner, took the Jazz from a small market team to a world renowned organization. This organization has been lead by many legends that are now household names in the state of Utah.
As part of the Jazz' introduction into the NBA, the team was subject to an expansion draft in 1974. In this draft, the Utah Jazz selected Pete 'Pistol' Maravich, an All-Star Point Guard from the Atlanta Hawks. Pistol Pete remained with the Jazz until their relocation to the state of Utah. Pistol Pete will remain as one of the greatest players in Jazz history and league history due to his impeccable passes and crazy stat lines. His number 7 is currently retired by the organization and hangs in the rafters of the Delta Center.
After relocating to Utah, the Jazz played consecutive seasons at the Salt Palace, which was predominantly used as a convention center. As the Jazz grew in popularity, the team was in need of a more permanent home that would block them from another need to relocate. Larry H. Miller took this as his opportunity to buy the team and build them a new arena in Salt Lake City. The Delta Center, as it was first known, was built in 1991 and has remained as the home of the Utah Jazz.
Unfortunately, the Utah Jazz have little success when it comes to championships. The Utah Jazz have had one of the greatest Win-Loss records in leg history, but have had 0 Final's trophies to show for it. The closest the Jazz came to winning it all was in 1997 and 1998, when they faced the Michael Jordan led, Chicago Bulls. Since those back to back Finals losses, the Utah Jazz have only appeared in the Western Conference Finals once. The legacy of the Utah Jazz has been tainted by losses, but hopefully new team ownership can turn things around.
In 2020, Ryan Smith, a tech mogul, Utah Native and Billionaire, purchased the Utah Jazz for $1.6 Billion dollars. His desire for purchasing the team was to turn the tide and bring a much anticipated Championship Parade to the streets of Salt Lake. Since the purchase, the Jazz have been through a necessary rebuild to reshape the roster and staff. If all goes as hoped, the Utah Jazz can become playoff and finals contenders by the end of the decade.
