Jerry Sloan (right) took John Stockton and the Utah Jazz to the finals twice, but lost to the Chicago Bulls, his former team, both times. AFP
US Basketball Hall of Famer Jerry Sloan Jerry Sloan, who coached the Utah Jazz for 23 seasons before retiring in 2011, died on Friday at age 78, the team announced.
Sloan, a two-time NBA All-Star who played 11 seasons as a guard before his epic coaching career, died of complications from Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia, which he had been fighting since at least 2015.
Sloan, inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009, was taken by the Baltimore Bullets with the fourth overall pick of the 1965 NBA Draft and played one season for them before spending a decade with the Chicago Bulls, who retired his number four jersey in 1978, an unprecedented move by the club.
After a 2 1/2-season stint coaching the Bulls from 1979-1982, Sloan began his epic tenure with the Jazz in 1988 and guided Utah into the playoffs for 15 consecutive seasons from 1989-2003.
With Karl Malone and John Stockton as a superstar duo, the Jazz enjoyed their best seasons under Sloan in 1996-1997 and 1997-1998, reaching the NBA Finals only to lose to the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls each time.
Jazz owner Gail Miller said in a statement: “It was an honour and a privilege to have one of the greatest and most respected coaches in NBA history coaching our team.
“We have appreciated our relationship with Jerry and acknowledge his dedication to and passion for the Utah Jazz. He has left an enduring legacy with this franchise and our family.
“The far-reaching impact of his life has touched our city, state and the world as well as countless players, staff and fans,” she said.
Sloan finished his coaching career with the third most wins in NBA history (1,221-803) and seven division titles. His teams reached the playoffs 20 times.
The team said in a statement: “Jerry Sloan will always be synonymous with the Utah Jazz. He will forever be a part of the Utah Jazz organisation.
“We are so thankful for what he accomplished here in Utah and the decades of dedication, loyalty and tenacity he brought to our franchise.”
The longest tenured coach with one franchise of all major professional US sports teams when he retired during the 2010-2011 campaign, Sloan was a stalwart for the Jazz while there were 245 NBA head coaching changes among other clubs.
League commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement: “Jerry Sloan was among the NBA’s most respected and admired legends.
“He was the first coach to win 1,000 games with the same organisation, which came to embody the qualities that made Jerry a Basketball Hall of Famer – persistence, discipline, drive and selflessness . . . we benefited greatly from his humility, kindness, dignity and class.”
