How to Collect | The Utah Jazz

From Pistol Pete to Stockton and Malone and Beyond

It’s the Jazz. From peak Pistol Pete in the Big Easy to Stockton and Malone battling for titles with the GOAT in Salt Lake City, this franchise has long marched to its own tune.

Backed by an incredible fan base that creates one of the loudest and toughest atmospheres in the entire NBA, the franchise has a history of consistency, longevity, and greatness.

Let’s take a look at some of the ways that collectors can capture the story of the Utah Jazz. 

Jazz Mount Rushmore

Carved into the Utah mountainside are a legendary duo who led the franchise for almost two decades, a scorer who lit up the league for years, and one of the most legendarily exciting basketball players to ever take the floor.

1993 Topps Finest Basketball #117 John Stockton Refractor 

1998 Topps Chrome Basketball Apparitions #A4 Karl Malone Refractor /100 

1977 Topps Basketball #56 Adrian Dantley RC 

1970 Topps Basketball #123 Pete Maravich RC 

Stockton and Malone

John Stockton and Karl Malone’s legendary careers are so intertwined you almost can’t say one without the other. A perfect basketball fit, the control and vision of Stockton and the offensive repertoire of Malone made Utah an elite force in the Western Conference. The pair made the playoffs in 18 straight seasons.

Both players have a variety of cards for collectors to chase, from popular entries in Topps Finest’s early Refractor sets to Chrome’s debut in 1996 and beyond. This 1992 Beam Team card places the duo with perennial all-star Dominique Wilkins.

The Jazz peaked in the late ’90s, winning 60 or more games three times in a four year span and culminating in back-to-back NBA Finals appearances against Jordan’s Bulls. While a title eluded the iconic duo, Stockton and Malone remain essential pieces to the story of the franchise, and to any collection celebrating basketball in Utah.

The longevity of both these legends is truly remarkable. Today, Stockton remains the runaway leader in all-time assists with a ridiculous 15,806 — a record that’s among the seemingly unbreakable in American sports. Malone sits behind only LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in career points scored. 

While the pair define the Utah Jazz, the team’s golden age featured other stars and fan favorites who make great additions to a collection. Chief among them is 1992 NBA All-Star and two-time three-point contest winner Jeff Hornacek. All three players have had their number lifted to the rafters at the Delta Center.

Collecting Pistol Pete

Before becoming one of the league’s model franchises in the Beehive State, the Jazz began in New Orleans in 1974. While the team failed to make the playoffs during its time in the Big Easy, fans were lucky to witness one of the most entertaining players in the history of the sport.

Pistol Pete Maravich was already something of a legend when he came to the NBA, following a collegiate career at nearby LSU where he averaged a preposterous 44.2 PPG. Yes, feel free to read that number back again. Three straight First-Team All-American selections and a National Player of the Year award later, Maravich was drafted third overall by Atlanta in 1970 before heading to New Orleans in 1974.

While there, Maravich played his best basketball at the pro level. His transcendent flair, vision, touch, and his dazzling improvisational style made him right at home playing for the Jazz. 

Today, Pistol Pete remains a major figure in The Hardwood Hobby. While his 1970 Topps RC is extremely valuable, there are a series of quality vintage offerings across Topps releases of the ’70s, including the above 1976 and 1978 Topps cards from his onstage years in the Big Easy.

The 50-Win Club

With the Stockton-Malone era ending in 2003, it didn’t take long for a new contender to emerge. Only three seasons out of the playoffs (which included two seasons at .500 or better), the Jazz made the Western Conference Finals again in 2007.

Led once again by an inside-out duo, a young Deron Williams, and All-Star Carlos Boozer, the Jazz won 50 games or more in three of four years. Both foundational pieces to this new era have Topps Chrome rookie cards to chase.

Another intriguing option is Swiss Army knife Andrei Kirilenko. The freakish athlete provided some unbelievable performances during his stay in Utah.

In the history of the NBA, there have been 22 instances of a player recording five or more points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. In December 2003, Kirilenko managed the feat twice in a week. He and Hakeem Olajuwon are the only players in league history to have at least three 5 x 5 games. This 2005 Chrome Refractor sold for $264 in August 2025.

Collecting Coach

Of course, it’s not just the players who crafted such consistency over an entire age of NBA basketball. At the helm was Jerry Sloan, one of the best coaches in league history. From 1988 to 2011, Sloan steered the Jazz to the playoffs 19 times in 23 seasons. His 1,221 career wins as a coach ranks him fourth all-time. 

One way to commemorate Sloan’s unbelievable influence on the Jazz is to collect his cards. An early member of the Chicago Bulls, his 1970 Topps Basketball RC has sold for over $25,000. There are a variety of other more accessible options from the ‘seventies ’70s for collectors to chase as well.

Capturing History Your Way

Today, Utah is building toward its next contender. An exciting era in the late 2010s and early 2020s led by Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert gave rise to the modern incarnation of the Jazz, with a group of exciting young players who feature in new Topps Basketball releases.

The story of the franchise from New Orleans to Salt Lake includes some of the sports greatest legends, one of the game’s greatest coaches, and one of the league’s most consistently excellent teams. This history offers collectors a ton of options to build out a Utah Jazz collection to be proud of.

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