Piece by: Vinnie Simone
November 14th, 1991— Coach Jerry Sloan and the Utah Jazz spend the night in The Palace of Auburn Hills, pitted against the bruising Detroit Pistons. In the final quarter of a tightly contested game, Jazz point guard John Stockton fights through a Dennis Rodman screen, which lead to both players to crash into the floor. An upset Rodman verbalized his aggression, Stockton reacted when he sprung to his feet. As the scuffle beings, Jerry Sloan rushed across the floor from the opposing bench, immediately in the ear of an official. Eventually, Sloan is escorted back to the Jazz bench by one of his assistants and Stockton, but not before exchanging words with Rodman. The Jazz are assessed a technical foul, and Rodman steps to the line to shoot his free throws. After Rodman makes the first, he taunted Sloan by pointing back at him. Sloan responds by gently blowing a kiss back at Rodman, confident in what the near future holds. Sure enough, the game is stopped once again, Rodman is given a technical and he is booted from the game. Rodman is ushered down the sideline in front of the Jazz bench, clearly upset with Sloan. Rodman then walks across the baseline as Stockton makes both of his technical free throws.
Last Friday, the basketball community lost Jerry Sloan as he passed after a 4-year bout with Parkinson’s disease. While we mourn the losing of a colorful NBA player and coach, we are given the opportunity to celebrate his successes. Events like the Stockton-Rodman scuffle that night in November 1991, help us understand who Jerry Sloan was in and outside of basketball.
Jerry Sloan played 11 and coached 26 seasons in the NBA. He was named to an all-star team twice as a player and was on six all-NBA Defensive teams. Former Bulls GM Jerry Krause praised Sloan on the toughness he played with during his ten year career with the Bulls. Even though Sloan was a successful NBA player, he was most notably the coach of the Utah Jazz during the Stockton-Malone era. In his 22 seasons with the Jazz he only missed the playoffs three years, made it to the conference finals five times, and to the NBA finals in ‘97 and ’98 before running into Jordan and the Bulls. Sloan won 1223 games (fourth all-time) including 98 playoff victories (sixth all-time) over the course of his career, and he was the first NBA coach with 1000 wins with a single franchise.
The Utah Jazz is an NBA franchise known for its passionate and fiery fans. Sloan was a perfect fit as he matched that passion and intensity, which is one of the reasons he was loved in Utah. The toughness he brought as a player, was the toughness he expected as a coach.
Sloan was a coach who began his tenure with the Jazz during a physical period in the NBA, but he developed a modern idea in that environment. Jerry Sloan brought the pick-and-roll to the forefront of the NBA. The pick-and-roll was the backbone of the Jazz offense and led to Stockton being the NBA’s all-time assist leader and Malone being second all-time in points.
Several of the greatest coaches the NBA has seen praised Sloan’s influence on the game following his passing. But he was also remembered as a loyal person both on and off the court. Following Sloan’s passing, Spurs coach Greg Popovich released a statement.
“It’s a sad day for all of us who knew Jerry Sloan. Not only on the basketball court but, more importantly, as a human being. He was genuine and true. And that is rare. He was a mentor for me from afar until I got to know him. A man who suffered no fools, he possessed a humor, often disguised, and had a heart as big as the prairie.”
Sloan’s successful career should not be forgotten, but it is important to remember who Jerry Sloan was off the court.
My deepest condolences are sent out to the friends and family of Jerry Sloan, the Utah Jazz organization, and the fans of his across the NBA.