May 29, 1997: John Stockton's Jumper

May 29, 1997: John Stockton sends the Utah Jazz to the NBA Finals for the 1st time, with perhaps the greatest buzzer-beater in NBA history.

Despite all its growth, Salt Lake City only has a team in one of the "Big Four" North American major league sports. If you count soccer, they have teams in both men's and women's leagues. But no baseball, no football, no hockey. Just basketball.

The Utah Stars reached the ABA Finals in 1970, won the ABA Championship in 1971, and reached the Finals again in 1974. But their owners ran out of money early in the 1975-76 season, and after a failed merger with another team, the Spirits of St. Louis, failed, the league canceled the franchise. They never made it to the end of the season, when 4 of the 6 surviving teams were accepted into the NBA: The New York Nets, the Indiana Pacers, the San Antonio Spurs and the Denver Nuggets.

But the Salt Palace still stood, and fans were ready to accept an NBA team. In 1979, the New Orleans Jazz, unable to fill the massive Superdome, were moved to Salt Lake City. Everyone knew the name "Utah Jazz" made no sense. Frank Layden, their head coach from 1981 to 1988, suggested they trade names with Los Angeles: That city was the center of the West Coast jazz scene, and "Utah Lakers" would have made sense with the Great Salt Lake. But the NBA wouldn't allow it.

The Jazz made the Playoffs for the 1st time in 1984, the 1st of 20 straight qualifications. But there always seemed to be somebody in the way: The Lakers of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, the Houston Rockets of Hakeem Olajuwon, the Portland Trail Blazers of Clyde Drexler, the Phoenix Suns of Charles Barkley.

The Jazz chose John Stockton, a guard from Gonzaga University in his hometown of Spokane, Washington, with their 1st pick in the 1984 NBA Draft. They chose Karl Malone, a forward from Summerfield, Louisiana and Louisiana Tech, with their 1st pick in the 1985 Draft.

They made the Jazz Playoff perennials, but a title proved elusive: They reached the Western Conference Finals in 1992, but lost to the Portland Trail Blazers; got there again in 1994, but lost to the Houston Rockets; and got there again in 1996, but lost to the Seattle SuperSonics.

In the 1996-97 season, Stockton and Malone were both named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary 50 Greatest Players, despite never having reached the NBA Finals -- yet. That season, Malone was named the NBA's Most Valuable Player.

Under head coach Jerry Sloan, a former Chicago Bulls star, they again reached the Conference Finals, and again played the Rockets, looking for their 3rd Finals berth, and 3rd Championship, in 4 years. They were still led by Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, but now with Charles Barkley added. The Jazz won Games 1 and 2 in Salt Lake City, dropped Games 3 and 4 in Houston, with Eddie Johnson hitting a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give the Rockets Game 4. The Jazz won Game 5 in Salt Lake.

Game 6 was played at The Summit in Houston. The game was tight throughout, with the Jazz leading 23-21 after the 1st quarter, the Rockets leading 49-43 at the half, and the Rockets leading 71-70 after 3 quarters. As the clock ran out in regulation, with the score tied, Stockton fired a 3-point shot, and it went in, giving the Jazz a 103-100 victory, and their 1st Finals berth. It is among the biggest "buzzer-beaters" in NBA history.

The Jazz went on to lose the NBA Finals to the Bulls, and did so again in 1998. They have not been back to the Finals since, although they usually make the Playoffs. The Rockets would not win another Playoff series until 2009, did not return to the Conference Finals until 2015, and, through the 2021-22 season, have not returned to the NBA Finals.

Stockton was named to 10 NBA All-Star Games, and became the NBA's all-time leader in assists and steals. Malone was named to 14 NBA All-Star Games.

UPDATE: In 2024, the NHL's Arizona Coyotes moved to Salt Lake City. For their 1st season, they were simply "Utah Hockey Club." For the next season, they became the Utah Mammoth. They share the Delta Center with the Jazz.

The Jazz do not have a team Hall of Fame. They have honored 11 men with banners, including 9 retired uniform numbers, 4 of them for men who never played for them: 1, for 1981-88 head coach Frank Layden; 9, for 1985-2009 team owner Larry Miller; 1,223, the number of his coaching wins, for 1988-2011 head coach Jerry Sloan; and a banner with a microphone on it for 1974-2009 broadcaster "Hot" Rod Hundley.

* From their time as the New Orleans Jazz, 1974-79: 7, for guard "Pistol" Pete Maravich.

* From after the move to Utah, but before their Finals appearances: 4, for forward Adrian Dantley; 35, for guard Darrell Griffith; and 53, for center Mark Eaton.

* From their 1997 and '98 NBA Finals appearances: 12, for guard John Stockton; 14, for guard Jeff Hornacek; and 32, for forward Karl Malone.

Miller, Layden, Sloan, Eaton, Stockton and Malone have also been elected to the Utah Sports Hall of Fame.

In addition, since Stockton and Malone were so linked, a statue of the two of them together stands outside the Delta Center.

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May 29, 1997 was a Thursday. The NBA Eastern Conference Finals had wrapped up the night before, with the Chicago Bulls eliminating the Miami Heat in 5 games.

Football was out of season. The Stanley Cup Playoffs were between the Conference Finals and the Finals, and the Detroit Red Wings went on to sweep the Philadelphia Flyers.

And these Major League Baseball games were played:

* The New York Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 4-0 at the SkyDome (now the Rogers Centre) in Toronto. David Cone allowed 5 hits over 7 2/3rds innings, striking out 12, and Jeff Nelson completed the 5-hit shutout. Tino Martinez hit a home run. Derek Jeter went 2-for-4.

* The Chicago White Sox beat the Boston Red Sox, 5-2 at Fenway Park in Boston. The White Sox scored 4 runs in the top of the 11th, including a home run by Jorge Fábregas. The Red Sox could only pull 1 run back in the bottom of the 11th.

* The San Francisco Giants beat the Atlanta Braves, 4-2 at Turner Field (now Center Parc Stadium) in Atlanta. Shawn Estes outpitched John Smoltz. Barry Bonds went 0-for-3, but had an RBI on a sacrifice fly.

* The Colorado Rockies beat the Florida Marlins, 6-5 at Pro Player Stadium (now Hard Rock Stadium) in Miami Gardens, Florida.

* The Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds, 2-1 at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

* The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Minnesota Twins, 7-4 at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. With MLB moving the Brewers to the National League the next season, this would be the last season for Wisconsin vs. Minnesota to be the kind of rivalry in baseball that it is in football (college and pro) and hockey (college).

* The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-2 at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis.

* The Houston Astros beat the San Diego Padres, 10-6 at the Astrodome in Houston. Tony Gwynn went 2-for-4 with a walk.

* The Anaheim Angels beat the Oakland Athletics, 7-1 at the Oakland Coliseum.

* And the Texas Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners, 8-2 at the Kingdome in Seattle. Ken Griffey Jr. went 0-for-3 with a walk. Alex Rodriguez went 2-for-3 with a walk.