What's in a Name?

I'm watching game 3 of the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers series. I can't help but notice that the Utah uniforms have the "Jazz" across the front in boxy font. Their old logo used to have the J that looked like a music note. The Lakers also just have their name across the front, no particular logo. That made me wonder, what's in a NBA team name? Here's a little background on these two teams:

Utah Jazz: When I think Utah, jazz music doesn't come to mind. Jazz is synonomous with New Orleans. So this team name makes more sense knowing that the franchise started in New Orleans in 1974 and the name stuck when the team moved westward to Utah in 1979.  It's too bad they never changed their name when they first moved because now New Orleans has the Hornets. But then again that team used to be the Charlotte Hornets. Oh well.

Los Angeles Lakers: What is a Laker? According to Merriam Webster a Laker is "one associated with a lake." Simple enough and no, LA isn't hiding all its lakes with smog. The Lakers, like the Jazz, got its name in a previous location, when it actually made sense. Before moving to LA, the Lakers were in Minneapolis, Minnesota and were named after the state's nickname, "Land of 10,000 Lakes." They should have a huge dancing puddle for a mascot. 

So there you go, a little history for you. Neither a lake nor jazz seems menacing enough for a sports team name but they were fitting for the locale at the time and now it's been so long that you just don't question it. Tonight the Jazz won and the series is now LA 2, Utah 1. But I'm ultimately predicting the lake water will drown out the jazz in this series.