The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently part of the Northwest Divis ... ion of the Western Conference in the NBA (National Basketball Association). Originally located in New Orleans, Louisiana, the franchise began in 1974 as the New Orleans Jazz and the18th professional basketball team to enter the NBA. Despite drawing well, the franchise struggled and was eventually moved to Salt Lake City, Utah in 1979 after just five years in the league. In 1985, Larry H. Miller became co-owner of the still struggling organization, and then a year later, purchased the remaining portion from Sam Battistone to become the sole owner. The Jazz has since become one of the more successful teams in the league with frequent post-season playoff appearances, including consecutive appearances from 1984 to 2004, as well as two NBA Finals appearance in 1997 and 1998. read more