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RIP Jerry Sloan

Growing up in Maryland I was never much of an NBA fan. Watching the Bullets was OK but it always seemed that there was never any strategy. Just run down the floor and shoot. Maybe it goes in, maybe it doesn't. Rinse and repeat. The athleticism was cool but that was about it.

Jerry changed all that for me. Moving to Utah for college and starting to watch the occasional Jazz game on TV starting in 1991, Sloan's style of basketball, combined of course with Stockton and Malone, quickly hooked me and I became a fan for life.

Thanks for the memories, Jerry. Thanks for the impact you, the Jazz, and the NBA has had in my life. May you rest in peace.
 
Very sad. I really enjoyed seeing him at the games the last few years, though it was kind of rough at the end.

Easily the toughest SOB of a head coach ever. I wish they'd put a statue of him next to the Stockton/Malone ones, though honestly I don't think he would have cared for it.
 
Nate505 said:
Very sad. I really enjoyed seeing him at the games the last few years, though it was kind of rough at the end.

Easily the toughest SOB of a head coach ever. I wish they'd put a statue of him next to the Stockton/Malone ones, though honestly I don't think he would have cared for it.
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I like the statue idea. I actually think they will.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using JazzFanz mobile app
 
Very sad to hear this. Not that his passing is particularly awful. From what I understand, his quality of life was significantly diminished. But the circumstances of which his passing occurred. The man deserves the entire arena packed to pay respects. Since we’re still living through this pandemic I’m guessing his funeral will be a very private affair.

RIP

One of my favorite years was when he stayed in 2003-2004. The jazz were predicted to be an all time terrible team. Things looked bleak for the state. But coach Sloan found a way to coach the Jazz and developed a competitive team and a really fun unselfish brand of basketball to watch that continues to this day.
 
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I've only ever gotten player signatures one time, at a season ticket holder event in 2008. By far the nicest, most sincere and most appreciative person who signed my ball was Jerry Sloan. He looked right at me (and every person that came through the line) smiled and thanked me. He was the only person, player or coach, who took that opportunity to thank me for being a fan and a season ticket holder. His signature on that ball is what makes that momento worth anything to me and why I will always keep it.

In so many ways my Jazz fandom is a way for me to maintain a connection with my father. It's very personal for me. My dad only really started being a fan of the Jazz and basketball when the Jazz played the Lakers in the playoffs in the '80s and surprised the league by giving the Lakers everything they could handle. I didn't start being a fan until my dad took me to a game in 1992 that he got free tickets to because my parents bought a used Toyota Corolla from an LHM dealership. That was the Bulls vs Jazz triple overtime game. Needless to say, I was a fan after experiencing that in the arena. After that my father and I watched as many games as we could together. After I moved out of my parents' house, which coincided with the finals years, I'd come back and watch damn near every game, regular season, playoffs, all of it.

Jerry Sloan and his Jazz teams were a huge part of my favorite parts of my relationship with my dad. I always wanted to meet him and tell him how much that meant to me. I'm very sorry that I will never get that chance.
 
Tonight, I will drink to Sloan.

By far my favorite person to be involved with the Utah Jazz. There aren't very many like him. He will be missed.
 
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