Warped Tour 1996: Ice Postpones Utah Jazz Game After Damaging Court
Oct 25, 2024, 2:51 PM | Updated: 3:02 pm
SALT LAKE CITY— A noticeably cooler Delta Center is expected to be the norm this season as the Utah Jazz and Utah Hockey Club share the downtown Salt Lake City arena. Because each team has 41 regular-season home games, the ice will stay through April, with a plastic barrier protecting the Jazz court from the freezing NHL surface below.
28 years ago, at the height of the Stockton to Malone era, a similar setup forced the NBA to postpone a game between the Jazz and San Antonio Spurs.
This black plastic layer is designed to cover the Utah Hockey Club ice at Delta Center which I’ve been told will remain under the court throughout the season.
It’s maybe 1.5 inches thick, and serves as a moisture prevention layer as well. #TakeNote | @utahjazz pic.twitter.com/vyWl98K2HI
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) October 24, 2024
Hours before a November game between the Western Conference opponents, players and team officials noticed inconsistencies with some panels of the new ‘purple mountain’ court, which were separated from Utah Grizzly hockey ice by a similar plastic barrier.
The ice below the NBA playing surface at Delta Center warped some court panels, causing an uneven playing surface. Hours before the game, officials from both teams and NBA personnel postponed it due to player safety concerns.
Mardi Gras floor to the rescue
1996 was long before the days of teams using multiple courts throughout a season, so the Jazz had to scramble. Fortunately for head coach Jerry Sloan and his team, the logo and color revamp the Jazz had undergone the previous offseason offered a ready-made solution.
Rather than wait weeks or months to repair the new flooring, the Jazz returned to their old ‘Mardi Gras’ court that had been used since Delta Center opened in 1991.
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The clash of purple mountain jerseys and the old yellow, green, and purple from the New Orleans Jazz wasn’t anything fashion experts would teach, but it worked for the Jazz. Utah lost only three games at the home arena during the regular season.
Utah set a franchise record for wins and 64-18, finishing with the second-best record in the NBA. The Jazz advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history, falling to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in six games.
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Utah hosts the Golden State Warriors at Delta Center on Friday, October 25. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. MT.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball coverage here.
