It’s obviously the Jazz, I mean Utah doesn’t even allow music. This question gets asked over and over again during the offseason. However, do you know why the Jazz are in Utah and not New Orleans?
It’s because the league really, really wanted the Lakers to be good and its actions completely destroyed the young New Orleans Jazz franchise forcing them to sell the team.
In 1976 after being a franchise for only two years, the struggling New Orleans Jazz were looking for a star to pair with Pistol Pete Maravich. Free agent, and five time all-star, Gail Goodrich had just ended his contract with the Lakers and the Jazz offered him a great deal to play for them. Gail signed a contract with the New Orleans Jazz on July 19th, 1976.
The league did not like the idea of “Free Agency” and forced the Jazz to give the Lakers assets in compensation. The league demanded not one, not two, but three first rounds picks and one second round pick over the next three years. The Jazz ended up “trading” these assets to the Lakers on August 5th, more than two weeks after the signing.
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[In Gail’s own words](https://www.deseret.com/1992/7/16/18994586/goodrich-tells-his-side-in-jazz-magic-deal), “”Going in, the Jazz did not know they were going to have to give up all those draft choices for me,” said Goodrich. “They made a deal with a free agent that they thought would help their team. But the league, in an effort to discourage free agency – I’m not sure they’ll admit to this even now – stepped in and awarded the Lakers those draft choices as compensation.”
“It was a big settlement that New Orleans eventually had to agree to. But not until there had been a lot of behind-the-scenes pressure from the league.”
“The truth is, there was no trade at all as far as myself and the Jazz were concerned. The Jazz signed me, and then the league demanded compensation to the Lakers.”
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One of those three draft picks was a number one pick which turned out to be Magic Johnson. He almost certainly would have turned the New Orleans Jazz into a winning franchise, if not a profitable one.
Unfortunately, after losing three draft picks in a row, and Gail getting injured, the New Orleans Jazz were terrible and broke. They ended up selling the team to Utah which for some inexplicable reason kept the name.
Even though the league propped up the Lakers yet again, I think this worked out best for everyone. The Lakers got a Legend and several championships, Utah got a sports team and gave fans (including myself) a life-long love for the game, and New Orleans is New Orleans. They already have an amazing city and don’t really need more. Seriously, New Orleans is amazing, go check them out. Great food, music, and culture.
by FriendlyNBASpidaMan
25 Comments
The Jazz is a very cool name for a pro sports franchise, actually. It’s just hilarious that it’s the team from Utah. If I were moving the franchise from New Orleans today I’d obviously change it, but now the brand is solidified.
I hate everything about the Pelicans
Pacers, sounds like a nervous habit.
> They ended up selling the team to Utah which for some inexplicable reason kept the name.
The Jazz was moved from New Orleans to Utah right before the start of the 1979-1980 season. Due to a lack of time to receive league approval for a name change, they opted to keep the Jazz name and Mardi Gras-themed colors of the uniforms.
i have more of a problem with real salt lake lol . Ill say the pelicans , new orleans could of came up with something better.
Clippers
People think they going to a barber shop.
Obviously Jazz and Lakers, although at least they were named in cities where the name was appropriate. Bobcats is specially awful since they’re named after a former owner. Cavaliers and Raptors are also de novo franchises with names that have nothing at all to do with their host cities. Raptors are named a dinosaur in a movie that was popular at the time and grossly misrepresented what a raptor actually was. I have no idea where Cavaliers came from, although I guess Cleveland Cavaliers scans well at least. Also it’s somehow baked into the franchise DNA that a Cavalier is a pirate for some reason, like somebody made a marketing plan in the mid 70s and confused a cavalier with a corsair or something.
The Washington Wizards is such a lame name, there’s no oomph to it. At least the Bullets packed a punch.
It should be Utah Raptors since Utah is the state where the Jurassic park raptor fossils where found
There’s only 1 right answer and it’s the Pelicans
Nets is also a dumb name for basketball team- it’s like a baseball team being called the Gloves or a football team called the Helmets
It’s the Wizards
Call someone a Pelican in Australia and you’re likely throwing hands
The knicks are named after pants. The New York fluffy pants
I like the city and the team but, Raptors. You named your team after Jurassic park? You have the Blue Jays and Maple Leafs which both sound so Canadian then there’s the Raptors.
On the other side. I thought “Houston Rockets” always sounded cool and fitting. Themes well with the Astros as well
This was a joke on Baseketball
We have a Magic *and* a Wizards?
Pelicans are intimidating but it’s a fun and unique name. Clippers is an underrated name imo.
What’s wrong with the Jazz? Sometimes names of things are oxymorons. Biggie Smalls. Jumbo Shrimp. Utah Jazz. Makes sense to me.
Lakers. That doesn’t fit LA at all. How about the Los Angeles Smog…lol. First time I went to LA in the 70s coming down into LA there was a cloud over the city.
I get that the Nets was meant to rhyme with Mets and Jets but I sometimes wish they went with something more distinct.
Lakers. they’re from Minnesota, you know, the state with 10,000 lakes. where are the lakes in LA?
One of the rare US pro sports teams whose plural doesn’t have s at the end. I like the name Jazz. (There are at least 2 baseball teams like that). I notice WNBA has several team names like that. The Lakers travelled, heck so did the Dodgers, these kind of legacies make sports even more fun to me.
People don’t wanna hear it but the Lakers. Where are the mfin lakes in LA
Another reason to hate the Lakers
Damn, never knew this history. Super interesting. Thanks for sharing this OP!