NBA's Stern says "Jazz" nickname staying in Utah

Jazz Notes by Brian T. Smith, Steve Luhm and Tony Jones

Published: April 16, 2012 4:00 pm
This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

At a press conference in New Orleans to announce the site of the 2014 NBA All-Star Game, commissioner David Stern said the nickname "Jazz" will be staying in Utah.When new Hornets owner Tom Benson bought the franchise Friday for $338 million, he declared a name-change was in order. He wants something more closely connected with the city of New Orleans, leading to speculation he might be interested in re-acquiring the "Jazz" nickname.The franchise moved from New Orleans to Utah in the summer of 1979.On Monday afternoon, however, Stern said the "Jazz" nickname "... belongs to Utah. I wouldn't make it such an important point. There are many things that are indigenous to the area. I'm sure there will be some wonderful nicknames [suggestions]."http://www.nola.com/hornets/index.ssf/2012/04/nba_commissioner_david_stern_s_5.html— Steve Luhm

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