2001–02 Utah Jazz season

The 2001–02 Utah Jazz season was the 28th season for the Utah Jazz in the National Basketball Association, and their 23rd season in Salt Lake City, Utah.^[1] During the off-season, the Jazz signed free agent John Amaechi.^[2][3] Small forward and Russian basketball star Andrei Kirilenko, who was drafted by the Jazz as the 24th overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft, made his debut in the NBA this season.^[4][5][6]

Despite the addition of Kirilenko, the Jazz began to show their age as the team struggled losing five of their first seven games, leading to a 6–11 start to the regular season. However, the team soon recovered and played above .500 in winning percentage for the remainder of the season, holding a 25–24 record at the All-Star break.^[7] The Jazz finished in fourth place in the Midwest Division with a 44–38 record, and earned the eighth seed in the Western Conference;^[8] the team qualified for the NBA playoffs for the 19th consecutive year.^[1] The Jazz also beat the Los Angeles Lakers' record of sixteen consecutive winning seasons above .500,^[9] set between the 1976–77 and 1991–92 seasons.^[1]

Karl Malone averaged 22.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.9 steals per game, while Donyell Marshall averaged 14.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, and John Stockton provided the team with 13.4 points, 8.2 assists and 1.9 steals per game. In addition, Kirilenko provided with 10.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.9 blocks per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, while Bryon Russell contributed 9.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, and John Crotty contributed 6.9 points and 3.4 assists per game. Meanwhile, Scott Padgett averaged 6.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, rookie center, and second-round draft pick Jarron Collins provided with 6.4 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, second-year guard DeShawn Stevenson contributed 4.9 points per game, and Greg Ostertag averaged 3.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.^[10]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the First Union Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Malone was selected for the 2002 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Western Conference All-Star team,^[11][12][13] but did not participate due to visiting his sick mother back home in Louisiana; it was his final All-Star selection.^[14][15][16] Meanwhile, Kirilenko was selected for the NBA Rookie Challenge Game, as a member of the Rookies team,^[17][18] and also finished tied in third place in Rookie of the Year voting.^[19][20] Malone and Stockton both reached different milestones during the regular season; Malone scored his 34,000th career point,^[21] while Stockton reached 15,000 career assists and 3,000 career steals.^[22][23]

In the Western Conference First Round of the 2002 NBA playoffs, the Jazz faced off against the top–seeded, and Pacific Division champion Sacramento Kings, who were led by the trio of All-Star forward Chris Webber, All-Star forward Peja Stojaković, and Mike Bibby. The Jazz lost Game 1 to the Kings on the road, 89–86 at the ARCO Arena II, but managed to win Game 2 on the road, 93–86 to even the series.^[24][25] However, the Jazz lost the next two games at home, which included a Game 4 loss to the Kings at the Delta Center, 91–86, thus losing the series in four games.^[26][27][28]

The Jazz finished tenth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 766,108 at the Delta Center during the regular season.^[10][29] Following the season, Russell signed as a free agent with the Washington Wizards after nine seasons with the Jazz,^[30][31][32] while Marshall signed with the Chicago Bulls,^[33][34][35] and Crotty and John Starks both retired.^[36]