The 2001–02 NBA season was the Jazz's 28th season in the National Basketball Association, and 23rd season in Salt Lake City, Utah. During the off-season, the Jazz signed free agent John Amaechi. Russian basketball star Andrei Kirilenko, who was drafted by the Jazz in the 1999 NBA draft, would finally make his debut in the NBA. John Stockton continued to set new standards with 15,000 career assists and 3,000 career steals, as Karl Malone scored his 34,000th career point. However, the Jazz began to show their age as they struggled losing five of their first seven games, leading to a 6–11 start to the season. They played above .500 for the remainder of the season, holding a 25–24 record at the All-Star break, finishing fourth in the Midwest Division, and eighth in the Western Conference with