1996-97 Utah Jazz Record: 64-18, Lost in NBA Finals vs Chicago Bulls 2-4
If you’ve read this far, you’re probably already a big enough fan of the Utah Jazz to know that 1996-97 was the best season in the history of the organization.
It’s hard to distinguish this season from 1997-98. That’s largely due to the team’s reliance on continuity in building a contender. Roughly the same group of Jazzmen took the same Chicago Bulls team to the same 6 game series before suffering heartbreak.
It was the culmination of a team building effort that began when the team drafted John Stockton over a decade earlier. For the “rings or bust” crowd, it may not have been enough. It was, however, a time when Jazz fans had real hope: more hope than any fanbase other than the Chicago Bulls.
It was the best time in Utah Jazz history.
The Utah Jazz have seen a wide range of outcomes throughout their 48 years of existence. The current group has the potential to rank among some of the best in franchise history, but they’ll have their work cut out for them if they hope to top this list.