The 90s Utah Jazz, mainly remembered for their two losses against Jordan and the Bulls, were one of the best teams of the 90s, because of their two stars: Stockton and Malone. However, this Jazz team didn’t come together all at once. They were not a “super” team. They were slowly developed through the 80s.
(1984-1985 season)
Courtesy of Sports Illustrated
John Stockton was drafted 16th overall by the Utah Jazz in the stacked 1984 Draft. During his senior year at Gonzaga, Stockton really caught the eye of many NBA teams by averaging 20.1 points, 7.2 assists, and 3.0 steals*. However, with his team not making the tournament and Gonzaga not being a notable basketball school at the time, Stockton slid all the way down to Jazz with the 16th pick. During Stockton’s rookie season, he was thrown onto a team with talented veterans, including Adrian Dantley, Darrell Griffith, Rickey Green, and Mark Eaton. Stockton quickly learned from these vets and ended the season second in assists, even though he played only 18.2** minutes per game. The Jazz would make the playoffs that season and Stockton would gain key playoff experience.
(1985-1986 season)
Courtesy of The Salt Lake Tribune
That off-season, the Jazz went into the NBA Draft with the 13th overall pick. They ended up selecting Karl Malone, a 6-9 forward out of Louisiana Tech. During Malone’s college career, he averaged 18.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. With Mark Eaton and Adrian Dantley both getting older, it made sense for the Jazz to select a forward to learn from the two vets. That season proved to be the beginning of the Stockton-Malone era. John Stockton played 23 minutes per game, thanks in part to an injury that caused Darrell Griffith to miss the whole season and led the team in assists averaging 7.4. Karl Malone was quickly inserted into the starting lineup averaging 14.9 points and led the team in rebounds averaging 8.9. These two young stars were improving faster than anyone could have imagined.
(1986-1987 season)
After a quick playoff appearance against the Mavs, the Utah Jazz were hopeful that veteran guard Darrell Griffith could return to full health and his original playing ability. Even though this led to a slight deduction in minutes for Stockton, he performed even better than the year before increasing his points, steals, and assists. Karl Malone, on the other hand, was given more playing time, in part to the absence of Dantley, and thrived. He averaged 21.7 points and 10.4 rebounds in just his second season! However, the same result of the past season occurred, a quick playoff exit.
(1987-1988 season)
This was the season which soon foretold the force that Stockton and Malone would become in the 90s. With Rickey Green aging, Stockton was given the opportunity to start at point guard that season and he ran with it. That season, Stockton shined; his points and assists per game nearly doubled and his steals increased nearly by 1 per game. His passing game was dominant, and he ended up leading the league in assists (which he would do 8 more times). Malone; also became a dominant force, averaging 27.7 points and 12 rebounds per game. And with this dominance came a play in which would terrorize defenses for ages, the legendary Stockton-Malone Pick-and-Roll. That post-season the Jazz dismantled a Trailblazers team full of stars including Clyde Drexler, Jerome Kersey, and Terry Porter; however, the biggest test was waiting in the next round: The Defending World Champion Los Angeles Lakers.
(1988 #1 Lakers vs. #5 Jazz)
Courtesy of Getty Images
This was a key moment in which either stars are born, or players fade away. Both Malone and Stockton proved that they were up for the challenge. Game 1 was in LA and the defending champs proved too much with 5 players scoring double digits and winning 110-91. However, Game 2 was a different story. With Malone scoring 29 points, Stockton dishing out 13 assists, and Thurl Bailey off the bench with 20 points, the Jazz were able to steal Game 2 on the road by a score of 101-97. Now with home court advantage, the series moved to Utah and Game 3 had many of the same story lines as Game 2; great performances by Malone (29 points, 13 rebounds), Stockton (22 points, 13 assists), and Thurl Bailey stepping up again (21 points). The Jazz won game 3 by a score of 96-89. But the Lakers regained form in Game 4, winning 113-100, even though Malone (29 points, 11 rebounds) and Stockton (21 points, 13 assists) both performed to the best of their ability. The series then moved back to Los Angeles for a pivotal Game 5. The closest game of the series, the game became a career defining game for Stockton, scoring 23 points and assisting on 24 field goals! Malone backed Stockton up with 27 points and 16 rebounds, however a late free-throw by James Worthy gave the Lakers a two-point lead, leading to the Lakers 111-109 victory. After this crushing defeat, the Jazz dominated the Lakers, winning 108-80, pushing the series to a Game 7. Stockton and Malone, as they had shown throughout the playoffs, did not step down shy away from the spotlight. Both played the entire 48 minutes and while they had incredible games (31 points and 15 rebounds for Malone, 29 points and 20 rebounds for Stockton) the Champion Lakers proved to be too much, winning 109-98. This abruptly ended the season
The 1988-1989 season was one of a change of culture. After 17 games, Coach Frank Layden was replaced with assistant Jerry Sloan. In the following 14 years, Sloan, with Malone and Stockton, would never miss the playoffs and lead the Jazz to 2 NBA Finals appearances.
Stockton would retire after the 2002-2003 season, spending all 19 years of his career with the Jazz.
Malone would leave the Jazz after the 2002-2003 season, play one season with the Lakers, and retire. He played 18 years with the Jazz.
So, the next time someone brings up the 90s Jazz team, remember that the 90s Jazz team wasn’t an overnight sensation. It began in the 80s.
*All College Statistics courtesy of https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/
**All NBA Statistics courtesy of https://www.basketball-reference.com/