He coached the Utah Jazz for 23 years and stumbled twice on the Michael Jordan Bulls in the NBA finals (1997 and 1998). Jerry Sloan, legendary coach of the Salt Lake City franchise, died Friday at the age of 78 of complications related to Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies.
“Like John Stockton and Karl Malone as players, Jerry Sloan embodied the club. He will be greatly missed. It will always be synonymous with Utah Jazz. We offer our sincere condolences to his wife, Tammy, to the whole Sloan family and to all those who knew and loved him, "said Jazz.
A coach teaches.
Inspire.
Gives all of himself in pursuit of something greater. pic.twitter.com/FWOf9Jcm8s
"We are so grateful for what he has accomplished here and for the decades of dedication, loyalty and tenacity he has shown in our franchise," the statement said.
"From the old school"
With Sloan's death, a long page in the history of Jazz turns, probably the most glorious if not to have been victorious. Because if in the opinion of many the impressive collective of Jazz, which he had built around the prolific duo Karl Malone / John Stockton, could at the time have rewarded him with a ring, the 1990s were indeed those of Jordan and Bulls.
“Jerry was old school and his retro style of play was perfectly reflected in the 90s. He was always fiery, challenged his players. Go to the basket! Look for the stray bullets! Leave everything on the floor! I loved everything about him, "said former Bulls Scottie Pippen on Twitter, who played under him when he was assistant coach of the 2nd Dream Team at the Olympics in 1996.
A rough player
Ironically, it was in Chicago that it all started in professional basketball, for the native of McLeansboro (Illinois). First as a player of Bulls just created in 1966. The back played for ten years, forging a reputation as a rough defender - he was named six times in the best defensive five - which does not prevent him from d '' be selected twice at the All-Star Game.
He then started his coaching career there. An experience of less than three seasons (1979-1982) which does not prevent him from having his flocked jersey of number 4 removed in 1978, the first for the franchise, long before Jordan and Pippen.
A record coach of technical faults
"Jerry Sloan was" The Original Bull ". His tenacious defense and energy every night on the floor represented the franchise and embodied the city of Chicago, "said franchise owner Jerry Reinsdorf.
Sloan then definitively settled in Utah in 1988, taking the lead of a team he led twenty times to the play-offs including fifteen seasons in a row, without ever being awarded the trophy for best coach in the league.
Perhaps he paid there for his 413 technical faults, an unequaled record in the NBA? Because if the work and the perfection of the collective obsessed this man with the well-known hardness, his propensity to shout at the referees never left him.
Upon his retirement in 2011, two years after being inducted into the Hall of Fame, he presented the fourth record in NBA history with 1,221 wins behind Gregg Popovich (1,272, still active with San Antonio), Lenny Wilkens (1,332) and Don Nelson (1.335). "He was one of those iconic coaches who was a wonderful example of consistency, mental and physical tenacity, demanding but fair," said Gregg Popovich. “And we did our best to try to emulate all of this because it was quite impressive and quite successful from a great coach and an even better human being. "
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