Utah Jazz Logo PNG
The team chose the thematic Utah Jazz logo, making it instantly recognizable. Of course, what could be unclear about a basketball, especially when it’s the central element of the emblem? At the same time, sports virtuosos are inspired by music virtuosos to reach incredible heights and move forward to brilliant victories.
Utah Jazz: Brand overview
| Founded: | 1974 |
| Founder: | Ryan Smith |
| Headquarters: | Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. |
| Website: | nba.com |
Salt Lake City was founded by Mormons, adherents of one of the strictest religions. Once, they permitted polygamy and did not respect Black people. Mormons still wear special underwear to protect themselves from sin. As you might have guessed, this city instantly became the world capital of jazz music.
Of course, the team’s name has nothing to do with Salt Lake City or the state of Utah. However, it was founded in the glorious city of New Orleans, which is known in the jazz community. The team was created there in 1974, and its outstanding purple-yellow-green colors originated here. Great Pete Maravich, known as “Pistol Pete,” looked splendid in this uniform for all five years dedicated to the New Orleans Jazz.
In 1979, the “Jazzmen” shocked their fans by deciding to move to Salt Lake City. At that time, the market was much smaller than in New Orleans. To the great indignation of Louisiana, the club owner kept the name Jazz despite its complete inappropriateness in the church-hymnal country of Mormons. Thus, the “Jazz” was stolen by whites from Blacks, just as they had once stolen “Jazz” from them.
In Utah, they did not change the emblem and colors, although the uniform for away games became green. In 1984, with the arrival of John Stockton, the best point guard in NBA history, purple became the primary color. Designers also added the inscription “Utah” to the jersey.
In the ’90s, “Utah” went crazy with the clothing models of the time and combined purple with teal, bronze, and black. Another depicted element, mountains, appeared on the Utah Jazz emblem.
In 2004, the “Jazz” changed their colors to blue and white. These colors were probably favored by Andrei Kirilenko, born in St. Petersburg. The uniform, both primary and alternative, became much simpler. However, this experiment did not last long. Utah returned to basics – yellow and green were chosen again (but with navy blue instead of purple), and the original emblem returned to the chest. As for the main logo, it remained the same, only receiving its second repaint in its existence.
Meaning and History
The basketball club’s logo is based on its nickname. The name Jazz appeared back when the franchise belonged to New Orleans, the jazz capital of the world. The logo was appropriate: an eighth note in the shape of a large “J.” With the move to Utah, nothing changed: the team kept its old name and preserved the key elements of the logo.
What is Utah Jazz?
This is the name of the basketball team from Salt Lake City, which has been playing in the NBA since 1974. It moved to Utah in 1979, and before that, it was based in New Orleans, Louisiana. As of 2021, it has not won a single championship, but it is considered one of the strongest NBA franchises of the 1990s.
1975 – 1979
1975 was the first year of the existence of “Utah JAZZ.” The famous basketball team was born in the heart of the jazz industry – in New Orleans. The main symbol of the logo became the first letter of the word “Jazz” – “J.” It resembles an eighth musical note and also forms a ball at the base. The word “Jazz” was entirely in dark purple. Above it was a dim black inscription, “New Orleans.”
1980 – 1996
At the end of the 1970s, the team moved to Utah. It did not have time to get permission for rebranding, so it had to enter the 1979-1980 season under the old name. The only thing that changed in the logo was the name of the city.
1997 – 2004
Despite the lack of a jazz heritage in Salt Lake City, the club continued to develop the concept. Artists redesigned the logo, making the letter “J” look not like an eighth note but like a saxophone. In the background, they placed a ball with mountain peaks and surrounded it with a brown ring with the inscription “UTAH.”
2005 – 2010
In 2005, designers changed the color palette. The ball and mountains became purple, the ring – navy blue, and the word “JAZZ” – blue with a thin white border.
2010 – 2015
Another change in the palette led to the return of Mardi Gras colors to their former place. This is evidenced by the green ball and the gold stroke around the club’s nickname.
2015 – present
In 2015, the team’s owners delighted fans by returning the old logo, reminiscent of the early years of the Utah JAZZ team in Louisiana.
The latest redesign is a tribute to long-gone classics. Developers restored the logo adopted in 1980 and used it until 1996, inclusive. However, they made the inscriptions navy blue, and the decorative lines were repainted dark green.
Utah Jazz: Interesting Facts
The Utah Jazz is a basketball team from Salt Lake City, Utah, with an interesting background.
- Started in New Orleans: Jazz began in 1974 in New Orleans, named after the city’s jazz music. They moved to Utah in 1979 because they needed more money and a bigger fan base.
- Keeping the Jazz Name: Even though Utah isn’t known for jazz music, the team kept its name. Now, it’s one of the most well-known names in basketball.
- Famous Duo: John Stockton and Karl Malone were superstars for the Jazz. Stockton is known for his amazing passes and steals, and Malone scored many points. They played together in the 1980s and 1990s, getting to the NBA Finals twice.
- Great Coach: Jerry Sloan coached the Jazz for 23 years, taking them to the playoffs 20 times. He was respected for his tough coaching style and entered the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.
- High-Up Home: The Jazz’s arena is high above sea level, which makes it hard for visiting teams to play there because the air is thinner.
- Playoff Regulars: The Jazz are often known for making it to the playoffs. They had a streak of 20 years from 1984 to 2003.
- Focus on Defense: Recently, Rudy Gobert, known as “The Stifle Tower,” has been a big part of their defense, winning awards for it.
- Players from Everywhere: The Jazz have had players from all over the world, like Rudy Gobert from France and Ricky Rubio from Spain, showing how they look for talent everywhere.
- Jazz Bear: Their mascot, Jazz Bear, has made fans laugh since 1994 with his funny and bold stunts.
- Helping the Community: The Jazz do a lot of work to help people, focusing on education, health, and helping kids.
These points show why the Utah Jazz is an important and interesting basketball team. They’re known for their strong players, being tough to beat at home, and doing good things for their community.
Font and Colors
The word “Jazz” in the logo and the team’s name conveys the idea of “collective improvisation.” This definition was given in the dictionary used by those who chose the nickname New Orleans Jazz. Therefore, the emblem developers decided not to leave the musical theme and link it with sports, combining in one drawing a basketball and the letter “J” first in the form of a note and then in the form of a saxophone.
Two unique fonts were used in the club’s emblems. The first (and the last) is a proprietary font with a note instead of “J” and asymmetrical letters with an additional straight line on the right side. The second version (which was relevant from 1997 to 2015) looks completely different. It’s a stylized font with serifs at the edges and triangular protrusions in the center. In this form, the letter “J” clearly resembles a wind musical instrument.
The classic Utah Jazz palette corresponds to traditional Mardi Gras colors. It combines green, gold, and navy blue, which was purple in the original version.
Utah Jazz color codes
| Navy | Hex color: | #002b5c |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 0 43 92 | |
| CMYK: | 100 64 0 60 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 289 C |
| Green | Hex color: | #00471b |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 0 71 27 | |
| CMYK: | 80 0 90 75 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 350 C |
| Gold | Hex color: | #f9a01b |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 249 160 27 | |
| CMYK: | 0 43 100 0 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 137 C |
FAQ
What does the Utah Jazz logo mean?
The Utah Jazz logo embodies the team’s name because it depicts a musical note. It replaces the letter J in the word JAZZ.
Why “Utah Jazz”?
The team got its name when it was in New Orleans – the city where jazz music originated. After moving to Salt Lake City, they decided not to rename it. First, the team’s leaders needed to get NBA approval, and there wasn’t enough time for that. Secondly, there is a subtle connection between basketball and jazz: both sports imply collective improvisation.
Why did “Utah Jazz” change its logo?
The sports franchise revived the logo adopted in 1980 to reflect its past. It’s an important historical legacy.
What colors are “Utah Jazz”?
The current primary colors of Utah Jazz are blue (#002B5C), green (#00471B), and yellow (#F9A01B). These shades are present on the team’s logo.
