1996–97 Utah Jazz season

The 1996–97 NBA season was the 23rd season for the Utah Jazz in the National Basketball Association, and their 18th season in Salt Lake City, Utah. Prior to the start of the season, the Jazz changed their primary logo that more closely reflects the state of Utah, featuring purple mountains and light blue in the script, plus adding new uniforms.

After a 2–2 start to the regular season, the Jazz posted a 15-game winning streak between November and December, and held a 33–14 record at the All-Star break. The team then posted a 31–4 record for the remainder of the season, where they posted another 15-game winning streak between March and April, and won 19 of their final 20 games. The Jazz finished in first place in the Midwest Division with a franchise-best 64–18 record, and earned the #1 seed in the Western Conference; they made their fourteenth consecutive trip to the NBA playoffs. The Jazz also had the second-best home record in the league with a 38–3 record at the Delta Center.

Karl Malone averaged 27.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game, and was named the NBA Most Valuable Player of the Year, finishing in first place ahead of Michael Jordan in Most Valuable Player voting, while being named to the All-NBA First Team, and to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. In addition, Jeff Hornacek averaged 14.5 points, 4.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game, while John Stockton provided the team with 14.4 points, 10.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team, and to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. Meanwhile, Bryon Russell showed improvement becoming the team's starting small forward, averaging 10.8 points and 1.4 steals per game, and leading the Jazz with 108 three-point field goals, while second-year center Greg Ostertag averaged 7.3 points and rebounds per game each, and led the team with 2.0 blocks per game, and Antoine Carr contributed 7.4 points per game off the bench.

Malone and Stockton were both selected for the 1997 NBA All-Star Game in Cleveland, Ohio. Stockton also finished in fifteenth place in Most Valuable Player voting, and head coach Jerry Sloan finished in third place in Coach of the Year voting.

In the 1997 NBA playoffs, the Jazz swept the Los Angeles Clippers in three straight games in the Western Conference First Round, then in the Western Conference Semi-finals, they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers four games to one. In the Western Conference Finals, they took a 2–0 series lead over the Houston Rockets, who were led by Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley and Clyde Drexler. However, the Rockets would even the series at two games a piece, as Rockets forward Eddie Johnson hit a dramatic three-pointer at the buzzer to win Game 4, 95–92. After the Jazz took Game 5 at home, 96–91, Game 6 would be another battle and appeared to be heading for overtime, until Stockton nailed a three-point buzzer beater that launched the Jazz to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history, defeating the Rockets on the road, 103–100. In the 1997 NBA Finals, the Jazz lost in six games to Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and the defending champion Chicago Bulls.

One notable highlight of the regular season was the Jazz trailing 70–36 at halftime to the Denver Nuggets at home on November 27, 1996, but came back from a 34-point deficit, outscoring the Nuggets 71–33 in the second half to win the game, 107–103. The Jazz's new primary logo and uniforms would both remain in use until 2004.