Utah Jazz 2022: News, Schedule, Roster, Score, Injury Report

The Utah Jazz compete in the NBA as part of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference. Utah is one of the 12 teams in the league to have never won an NBA championship. 

The current Utah Jazz logo is far different from recent designs. However, the current design pays homage to the first-ever Jazz logo that came into existence. The design uses navy, gold, and green colors while placing emphasis on the ‘Jazz’ phrase, as a nod to sticking with the team’s heritage. 

The Jazz plays its home games at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. The indoor stadium can hold up to 18,000 people during NBA games, and it has played host to the Winter Olympics in the past as well. The Jazz has been playing here since 1991, ever since the demolition of their previous arena, Salt Palace. 

Who owns the Utah Jazz?

The franchise is currently owned by Jazz Basketball Investors, Inc. Larry H. Miller bought the team in 1985 and later built the Vivint Smart Home Arena, which is their current home arena. 

After Miller’s demise, the controlling duties fell into the hands of his wife Gail Miller, who has been owning the team since. Gail inherited millions worth of businesses from her husband, with the Jazz being one of them.  The team is valued at $1.55 billion, per Forbes’ recent estimate. 

Head Coach and top executives

The Jazz appointed Quin Snyder as the team’s Head Coach in 2014. Snyder took over the office and became just the ninth HC in franchise history. He replaced Tyrone Corbin, who was fired after three years with the team.

Before taking over the position at Utah, Snyder gained plenty of coaching experience from various leagues around the country. He was the assistant at LA Clippers, Duke University, and then took on a G-League team to further expand his coaching profile. Snyder is currently a trusted candidate at Utah, who are looking to end their title drought. 

The Utah Jazz awarded the team’s General Manager position to Justin Zanik in 2019. Zanik has been affiliated with the NBA for several years running, and he is currently in charge of the Jazz’s day-to-day operations. Before his promotion, Zanik served as the team’s assistant GM for five seasons.

Dennis Lindsey is the Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations at the Utah Jazz. Lindsey was initially hired as the GM in 2012, where he spent seven years in the role before being promoted. Lindsey’s upgrade as the Executive VP opened up the door for Justin Zanik to take over as the General Manager. 

History

The Jazz came into the NBA during the 1974-75 season as an expansion team. The franchise was originally based in New Orleans and the name was derived as a tribute to the city’s rich history of Jazz music. They acquired the legendary Pete Maravich for the initial season, and ‘Pistol Pete’ stayed with the team for six years. 

After five playoff-less years in New Orleans, the franchise moved to Salt Lake City in 1979, hoping to overturn their fortunes. They faced a similar situation in Utah as well and posted losing records after the other. 

However, the 80s decade saw the franchise clinching its first-ever division title and a ticket to the conference semi-final as well. It wasn’t the greatest of achievements, but it was a step in the right direction. From being a team that missed the playoffs in its first eight seasons, the Jazz evolved to make 19 straight postseason appearances from 1983 to 2002.

They gained a massive following when Karl Malone and John Stockton formed a deadly partnership on the court. The latter’s incredible passes were met by Malone’s towering leaps to the basket. This era, to date, has been the most successful one in the Jazz’s entire history. 

Malone and Stockton helped the Jazz to secure back-to-back conference titles and finals tickets in 1997 and 1998, but they failed to secure a championship. The Jazz were met by the unstoppable force of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in both years and fell in six games consecutively. 

The subsequent decade saw a sharp downfall as the team struggled to get past the playoffs’ first round on numerous occasions. A lot of talented players came and went, but the franchise struggled to find a cornerstone player.

Utah Jazz: Mascot and Uniform

The Utah Jazz has an official mascot who goes by the name “Jazz Bear.” He was first introduced in 1994 and has been a popular fan at their home games ever since. Jazz Bear has had the privilege of being named Mascot of the Year five times and he’s also Hall of Famer mascot! 

As for their uniforms, the Utah Jazz are particular about designing it with their primary colors. Navy blue, gold, and green have always remained as their first choices and their Nike uniforms carry them out in an outstanding manner. 

The Jazz wear white “Association” uniforms, navy “Icon” uniforms and also don a gold “Statement” uniform with a green font for the numbers. 

Team’s sponsors

American experience management company, Qualtrics, is currently the main sponsor of the Utah Jazz. They have a jersey sponsorship deal that runs till the 2022-23 season. The deal was first announced in 2017, and the company also serves as the Exclusive Fan Experience, Insights, and Analytics partner of the franchise. 

Besides Qualtrics, the Jazz has tie-ups with other companies such as Ticketmaster, Silicon Slopes, and Helio Training to name a few. 

History and achievements

Utah Jazz 2022 roster