Jerry Sloan has passed away at the age of 78.
Sloan was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and dementia in 2016. I knew he was sick, but it’s still sad because it’s Jerry Sloan. An exceptional coach.
Sloan was only the fifth coach in NBA history to reach 1,000 victories and is one of two coaches in NBA history to record 1,000 wins with one club. He’s also coached for one team longer than anyone in NBA history. He’s never won Coach of the Year, which is a surprise to many of us, but he is one of only four coaches in NBA history with 15-plus consecutive seasons with a winning record.
Sloan was also known for his toughness. As a player, he played for the Chicago Bulls. During his time with the Bulls, Sloan was a 2-time All-Star and 6-Time All-Defense Team. It’s crazy to think that he played with Bulls, and little did he know that in the future, the Bulls would stop him from winning two titles (1997, 1998).
In 1988, Jazz hired Sloan as the team’s head coach. He enjoyed a successful run of 16 consecutive seasons of taking his team to the playoffs. He coached two Hall of Famers: John Stockton and Karl Malone. Sloan believed in the system called “The Pick & Roll Offense.” No one thrived better with the pick and roll than Stockton and Malone. Karl Malone scored a lot of points in his career because of this system.
Coach Sloan is one of those coaches that should’ve had a ring. The Jazz had a chance to win it all in 1999, but they lost to a young team with fresher legs, the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Semifinals.
After the Stockton and Malone era, Sloan had a Stockton and Malone 2.0 with Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer. With this duo, the Jazz went to the Western Conference Finals in 2007. Although they lost to the Spurs in five games, it was exciting to watch this Jazz team play with so much heart and passion.
Sloan is one of the greatest and most respected coaches in NBA history. Rest in Peace, Jerry Sloan.
