3) Adrian Dantley, West Team Fall in OT: February 3, 1980
In the franchise’s first years in Utah, the Jazz were just as bad (if not worse) than they had been during their New Orleans days. That first year in Salt Lake, the 1979-80 season, resulted in just 24 wins for the Jazz. It’s a mark that remains a team-worst since the move to the Wasatch Front.
That said, the arrival of the Jazz in Utah also marked the arrival of Adrian Dantley. And despite the team’s struggles, AD was electric.
Continuing the theme of All-Star debuts, Dantley made his first appearance in the game that same year. The newfound spotlight didn’t phase the first-year Jazzman; he scored a team-high 23 points and grabbed five boards for the West in a 144-136 overtime loss.
Next: No. 2