The Utah Jazz began as the New Orleans Jazz in 1974, then struggled through a decade at the bottom before emerging as perennial contenders in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The original Jazz lineup featured high-scoring Hall of Famer "Pistol Pete" Maravich, one of the most entertaining players in NBA history. In its later incarnation as the Utah Jazz, the team's main drawing cards have been scoring machine Adrian Dantley; Darrell Griffith, basketball's "Dr. Dunkenstein"; guard John Stockton, whom many observers consider the best passer in league history; and Karl Malone, a forward who has combined power and grace to become one of the dominant stars of his era.

The team was originally the New Orleans Jazz but was financially unsuccessful and moved to Utah. The Jazz was one of the most successful teams in the late 1980s and 1990s, making it to two NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998 under coach Jerry Sloan and anchored by John Stockton and Karl Malone, a point guard/power forward combination noted for its remarkable on-court rapport. Malone and Stockton were often seen as two of the best players at their respective positions.