Jerry Sloan Appreciation Thread

[Ming Kong!]

Yeah same here, the hate on the Jazz boards is rediculous. They'll be happy for a few weeks when we're winning but then they forget very soon what he's done for us. Championships are gravy, but going .500 for 19/20 or 20/21 seasons is amazing, especially since we had to retool/rebuild between Malone/Stockton and Boozer/Williams reigns.

[drew881]

Sloan was simply unlucky. He really only had 2 years to win titles with his team (the years Jordan was retired), and after that, the Jazz aged and their window closed. They could easily have won 2 titles like the rockets and the story would be completely different.

[T-dot Raps]

You don't need to be a Utah Jazz fan to appreciate Sloan's achievement. He's a great coach, no one can deny that.

[barkley34]

Yah guys... this isn't a Utah Jazz thing or a certain franchise thing. This is a thing about what is right in sports, the spirit of persistence and being it on the right reasons. I must say it is of very bad taste to bash his number titles, as it has no relevance to this celebration.

Especially when you consider the only reason he doesn't have two titles was Michael Jordan. I am sure if he wanted to jump to the Lakers when they had Kobe/Shaq like Phil Jackson did than he would have some Titles. Instead he stayed loyal to the same team/city as they rebuilt.

I am a 76ers fan but man you have to respect Sloan. The winning level of consistency he has been able to maintain is amazing plus he comes across as a great human being. I really hope he wins a Championship in Utah before he retires.

[Patterns]

I'm not hating..I like Sloan, but he still has 0 titles..

Hard to win when no big name free agent wants to go to Utah... and they've been so consistent, they rarely get top 10 picks.

Props to the man. His teams are so well coached.

[Blame Rasho]

They should rename the COY award the Sloan award.

[Blame Rasho]

I'm not hating..I like Sloan, but he still has 0 titles..

Stop being a prink... Jeez....

[Ming Kong!]

They should rename the COY award the Sloan award.

That's a little much, but a definitely appreciate it coming form a fan of a very classy organization. Thanks.

[diBonaventura]

Great coach, great person. Congratulations to Sloan!

[Soul Patch]

Props to Coach Sloan, he puts his players ahead of himself and does his best to prolong and enrich their careers. He really does catch too much flac on the Jazz board sometimes but when he retires our whole damn arena will be cheering for him.

[Duiz]

They should rename the COY award the Sloan award.

That's a little much, but a definitely appreciate it coming form a fan of a very classy organization. Thanks.

erm.. he was being sarcastic.

[Ancalagon]

When Sloan (or Stockton and Malone for that matter) are criticized for having 0 titles, just remember this ...

The rise of the Jazz to the top of the Western Conference was finally complete in 1997, when the Rockets had started to age and the Jazz core developed around their superstars ...

1997 and 1998 are the years with arguably the two greatest teams of all time ... the Bulls won 72 and I believe 67 games-- led by the greatest player of all time and the coach with the highest number of titles.

If the Jazz had peaked at ANY OTHER TIME IN HISTORY they would have had a better chance of winning the title. ANY OTHER TIME. They just happened to be stopped by an unstoppable MJ ...

And people have forgotten how close those series really were, despite going 6 games. The Jazz really could have won in '98 if just a few things go differently (besides Jordan's push-off, the two times in Game 6 that buzzer-beating shots were waved off that would have been reversed under today's rule system) ...

That Jazz team peaks in most other years and they win the title, simple as that.

[Roger Murdock]

Sloan is the man. Top 5 or 6 coach ever, and the best part: even during rough seasons he never tanks and goes for top picks.