Utah Jazz: What Do Salt Lake City, Jazz Mean To NBA?
Before you read this, do me a favor please. Go on Google, type Salt Lake City and search images. What are some of the ideas that come to mind?
“Not much. Is that really it? It looks like the middle of nowhere.” These were some of the reactions I heard when I ran the experiment asking people to Google Salt Lake City on images and hearing their reactions.
Here are some random facts about Salt Lake City.
1. There are farmers markets year round.
2. The Salt Lake City Public Library is one of the coolest.
3. It is home of the first KFC in 1952.
But how many people even realize what the capital of Utah is?
(Trick question … it’s Salt Lake City).
The Utah Jazz have the second-best small-market team in the league. But people do not recognize that Salt Lake City means the world to the NBA and is ingrained into the culture of basketball.
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Here is an interesting fact about the Jazz. Did you know that they have the
best winning percentage (.544) among active teams?
I doubt it. Think about this.
Can anyone name a big name free agent that willing joined the Jazz during their free agency period? Carlos Boozer, maybe Mehmet Okur?
Despite the lack of willing stars attempting to join the Jazz, they have built their franchise in a way that allows them to stay successful and competitive because of trades and the NBA draft. The Jazz build their foundations by acquiring groups of players that mesh together in a cohesive fashion.
John Stockton, Deron Williams, Karl Malone, Paul Millsap, and Andrei Kirilenko were all drafted by the Jazz. Each of these players had great teams built around them because management used their draft picks to find the cornerstones of their franchise.
Even when All-Stars have left the Jazz, they took it for granted and didn’t realize how great of an organization it is.
In an interview with Resident Magazine (via the Brooklyn Game), Deron Williams said this:
"“Truth is, we enjoy getting away from the hustle and bustle and going back to Utah every summer. It’s a relief to take that timeout. No traffic. No crowds.”"
The formula for the small-market Jazz has worked to a tee.
Only the Lakers, Celtics, Spurs and Suns have better all-time winning percentages. One of the reasons why the Jazz have such a good winning percentage is because of their adored former Hall of Fame coach, Jerry Sloan. The consistency of the Jazz is because of his coaching career. During Sloan’s time in Utah, the Jazz were a playoff team 19 times.
Sloan even took the Jazz to the NBA Finals twice. The last time they were in the NBA Finals, they had the best television ratings in league history with 18.7 when they played Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. When Sloan resigned from coaching he finished with 1,221 wins, the third-most in NBA history.
This franchise is one of the best kept secrets in the league and over the last decade they have seen mountain trekking days moving in good and bad directions. Currently on an upward trajectory, the Jazz now have one of the brightest futures in the NBA with all the young potential on their roster.
If the cards fall right once again, soon enough we may see another NBA Finals in Salt Lake City.
Till then stay classy, Salt Lake City.
Somewhere Sundiata Gaines is smiling.