If you’re a longtime Utah Jazz fan, then this is just heartbreaking news to hear about a legend.
Former Utah Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan’s health is in decline to the point where he is reportedly close to dying.
Via Gordon Monson of The Salt Lake Tribune:
“He is dying.”
“Every day is different for him, some better than others, most not so good,” Monson wrote. “It’s basically a slide into oblivion. He’s frail. He’s physically and mentally limited. Around the clock care is required for him. Although, in the more recent past the old coach has been able to attend Jazz games, he will go no more.”
The 77-year-old was Jazz head coach from 1988-2011, becoming the winningest coach in franchise history while leading the team to two NBA Finals berths. Utah qualified for the postseason in each of Sloan’s first 15 seasons.
“The younger guys might not know who Jerry Sloan is but maybe they know who Karl Malone is and that’s what he meant. He made me who I am,” Karl Malone told Eric Woodyard of the Deseret News. “Enough said. You might not know who Jerry Sloan is but if you look at Karl Malone, that’s who Jerry Sloan is. He made me the person I am and the player I am.”
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Aside from his coaching career, Sloan also played 11 years in the NBA.
