NBA professional basketball team season
NBA professional basketball team season
The 1978–79 New Orleans Jazz season was their fifth season in the NBA and its last in New Orleans. The Jazz averaged 108.3 points per game (ranked 15th in NBA) while allowing an average of 114.6 points per game (ranked 21st in NBA).[ 1] The attendance was 364,205 (ranked 18th in NBA).
Draft picks
[ 2]
Roster
1978–79 New Orleans Jazz roster
Players
Coaches
Pos.
No.
Name
Height
Weight
DOB
From
F
12
Byrnes, Marty
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
215 lb (98 kg)
1956-04-30
Syracuse
G
25
Goodrich, Gail
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
170 lb (77 kg)
UCLA
F/C
30
Griffin, Paul
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
Western Michigan
PF
11
Hardy, James
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
1956–12–01
San Francisco
F
24
Haywood, Spencer
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
225 lb (102 kg)
1949-04-22
Detroit Mercy
F
23
James, Aaron
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
Grambling State
C
53
Kelley, Rich
7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
235 lb (107 kg)
Stanford
G
18
Lee, Ron
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
193 lb (88 kg)
1952-11-02
Oregon
G
7
Maravich, Pete
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
197 lb (89 kg)
LSU
G
33
McElroy, Jim
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
Central Michigan
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
(DP) Unsigned draft pick(FA) Free agent(S) Suspended Injured
Regular season
Season standings
Record vs. opponents
1978–79 NBA records
Team
ATL
BOS
CHI
CLE
DEN
DET
GSW
HOU
IND
KCK
LAL
MIL
NJN
NOJ
NYK
PHI
PHO
POR
SAS
SDC
SEA
WAS
Atlanta
—
2–2
3–1
3–1
3–1
3–1
1–3
3–1
1–3
2–2
1–3
3–0
2–2
2–2
2–2
2–2
2–1
2–2
3–1
3–1
1–3
2–2
Boston
2–2
—
1–2
2–2
1–3
2–2
2–1
1–3
3–1
1–3
1–3
1–3
1–3
2–2
3–1
2–2
0–4
1–3
0–4
1–3
2–2
0–4
Chicago
1–3
2–1
—
1–3
2–2
2–2
3–1
2–2
2–2
0–4
1–3
1–3
2–2
2–2
3–1
1–3
1–3
4–0
0–3
0–4
0–4
1–3
Cleveland
1–3
2–2
3–1
—
1–2
1–3
2–1
2–2
1–3
1–3
2–2
1–3
3–1
2–2
2–2
2–2
0–4
0–4
0–4
2–2
2–2
0–4
Denver
1–3
3–1
2–2
2–1
—
2–2
4–0
1–3
3–1
1–3
3–1
2–2
4–0
3–1
3–1
0–3
3–1
1–3
3–1
2–2
3–1
1–3
Detroit
1–3
2–2
2–2
3–1
2–2
—
1–3
2–2
2–2
2–2
2–2
2–1
0–4
2–2
1–3
1–3
0–4
1–3
1–3
2–2
0–3
1–3
Golden State
3–1
1–2
1–3
1–2
0–4
3–1
—
2–2
2–2
2–2
1–3
2–2
1–3
3–1
3–1
3–1
1–3
2–2
1–3
1–3
3–1
2–2
Houston
1–3
3–1
2–2
2–2
3–1
2–2
2–2
—
0–4
3–1
2–1
2–2
3–1
4–0
4–0
0–4
2–2
3–1
3–1
2–1
2–2
2–2
Indiana
3–1
1–3
2–2
3–1
1–3
2–2
2–2
4–0
—
1–3
0–4
2–2
1–2
2–1
2–2
2–2
2–2
3–1
3–1
1–3
0–4
1–3
Kansas City
2–2
3–1
4–0
3–1
3–1
2–2
2–2
1–3
3–1
—
2–2
2–2
3–1
3–1
2–1
2–2
2–2
1–3
1–3
2–2
2–2
3–0
Los Angeles
3–1
3–1
3–1
2–2
1–3
2–2
3–1
1–2
4–0
2–2
—
3–1
2–2
2–2
3–0
1–3
2–2
2–2
2–2
2–2
2–2
2–2
Milwaukee
0–3
3–1
3–1
3–1
2–2
1–2
2–2
2–2
2–2
2–2
1–3
—
2–2
3–1
1–3
2–2
2–2
2–2
1–3
1–3
2–2
1–3
New Jersey
2–2
3–1
2–2
1–3
0–4
4–0
3–1
1–3
2–1
1–3
2–2
2–2
—
3–1
1–3
2–2
3–0
2–2
0–4
2–2
0–4
1–3
New Orleans
2–2
2–2
2–2
2–2
1–3
2–2
1–3
0–4
1–2
1–3
2–2
1–3
1–3
—
2–2
2–2
1–3
1–3
2–2
0–4
0–3
0–4
New York
2–2
1–3
1–3
2–2
1–3
3–1
1–3
0–4
2–2
1–2
0–3
3–1
3–1
2–2
—
2–2
0–4
1–3
1–3
2–2
2–2
1–3
Philadelphia
2–2
2–2
3–1
2–2
3–0
3–1
1–3
4–0
2–2
2–2
3–1
2–2
2–2
2–2
2–2
—
1–3
1–2
3–1
3–1
1–3
3–1
Phoenix
1–2
4–0
3–1
4–0
1–3
4–0
3–1
2–2
2–2
2–2
2–2
2–2
0–3
3–1
4–0
3–1
—
3–1
3–1
2–2
1–3
1–3
Portland
2–2
3–1
0–4
4–0
3–1
3–1
2–2
1–3
1–3
3–1
2–2
2–2
2–2
3–1
3–1
2–1
1–3
—
2–1
2–2
1–3
3–1
San Antonio
1–3
4–0
3–0
4–0
1–3
3–1
3–1
1–3
1–3
3–1
2–2
3–1
4–0
2–2
3–1
1–3
1–3
1–2
—
4–0
2–2
1–3
San Diego
1–3
3–1
4–0
2–2
2–2
2–2
3–1
1–2
3–1
2–2
2–2
3–1
2–2
4–0
2–2
1–3
2–2
2–2
0–4
—
2–2
0–3
Seattle
3–1
2–2
4–0
2–2
1–3
3–0
1–3
2–2
4–0
2–2
2–2
2–2
4–0
3–0
2–2
3–1
3–1
3–1
2–2
2–2
—
2–2
Washington
2–2
4–0
3–1
4–0
3–1
3–1
2–2
2–2
3–1
0–3
2–2
3–1
3–1
4–0
3–1
1–3
3–1
1–3
3–1
3–0
2–2
—
Player stats
Note: GP= Games played; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points; AVG = Average
Player
GP
REB
AST
STL
BLK
PTS
Jim McElroy
79
215
453
148
49
1337
Rich Kelley
80
1026
285
126
166
1253
Pete Maravich
79
422
488
120
18
1700
Truck Robinson
43
577
74
29
63
1039
Gail Goodrich
74
183
357
90
13
938
Spencer Haywood
34
327
71
30
53
816
Aaron James
73
248
78
28
21
727
James Hardy
68
310
65
52
61
453
Paul Griffin
77
391
138
54
36
303
Tommie Green
59
68
140
61
6
232
Joe C. Meriweather
36
184
31
17
41
219
Marty Byrnes
36
94
43
12
8
189
Ira Terrell
31
109
26
15
22
153
Ron Lee
17
55
73
38
2
114
Gus Bailey
2
2
2
0
0
4
[ 1]
Relocation to Utah
By 1979, the Jazz were sinking under the weight of $5 million in losses over five years. Original owner Sam Battistone decided to move to Salt Lake City, even though it was a smaller market than New Orleans at the time. However, Salt Lake City had proven it could support a pro basketball team when it played host to the American Basketball Association 's Utah Stars from 1970 to 1976.
Professional basketball returned to New Orleans, when the Charlotte Hornets relocated there, in 2002 . The team became the Pelicans in 2013 season, and the 1988-2002 history of the Hornets returned to the Bobcats , who reinstated the Hornets name prior to the 2014–15 season .
References
1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s