Reporter | Luo Yingying
A bad news came from the international basketball world.
On the evening of May 22nd, Beijing time, the NBA Utah Jazz officially announced that the team’s meritorious coach Jerry Sloan passed away at his home in Salt Lake City at the age of 78 due to complications from Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia. age.
Subsequently, teams such as the Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic posted messages on social media to express their condolences.
Former Jazz player Deron Williams posted a photo with Coach Sloan in the past to express his condolences, "After hearing the news of Coach Sloan's death this morning, I felt extremely sad. I am honored to be able to play in Utah After playing for him for five and a half years, I learned so much from him."
Another former Jazz player CJ Miles also posted: "This is a really sad day, rest in peace, legend. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you have done for me. You have made my life better. "
Jerry Sloan, who was born in 1942, played for the Baltimore Bullets (now the Washington Wizards) and the Washington Wizards during his professional career. Chicago Bulls , twice selected to the NBA All-Star team, announced his retirement in 1976.
In 1983, Sloan became a scout for the Utah Jazz and soon became an assistant to then head coach Frank Layden . With Redden's resignation in 1988, he was appointed the team's sixth head coach.
From 1988 to 2011, Jerry Sloan coached the Utah Jazz for 23 consecutive seasons and was known for his tough coaching style. During
's coaching career, he led the Jazz to the playoffs a total of 19 times, and won 1,127 regular season games. He is the only coach in NBA history to lead a team to 1,000 wins, and the other one has achieved this achievement. The head coach of Spurs Popovich .
At the same time, Jerry Sloan's regular season coaching record is 1,223 wins and 803 losses, making him the third-highest winning coach in NBA history.
In the 1996-1997 and 1997-1998 seasons, Jerry Sloan led the Utah Jazz to the Finals twice, and ultimately lost twice to the Chicago Bulls led by Michael Jordan .
Among them, Jordan's final hit in the 1997-1998 season finals became an insurmountable pain for Sloan and Jazz fans. At that time, the Utah duo Malone and Stockton became the most tragic uncrowned kings in the 1990s.
However, for Chinese fans, the memories left by Sloan are more related to Yao Ming and Houston Rockets . Jazz
is a bitter memory that cannot be erased from the memory of Rockets fans.
In the first round of the 2006-2007 season playoffs, the Rockets, led by Yao Ming and McGrady , faced off against the new Utah duo Shadron and Boozer . The Rockets led 2-0 in the first two games.
But after the Jazz returned to their home court, they played a suffocating defense. The legendary coach showed his power and tied the score at 2-2. In the fifth game, Tracy McGrady broke out, scoring 26 points and 16 assists, leading the Rockets to the first match point.
However, the Jazz led by Sloan won two games in a row and won the final victory. For Yao and Mai combination , this year was a good opportunity to break through the first round, but it failed.
In the 2007-2008 season playoffs, the Rockets and Jazz met again.
This time, Yao Ming suffered a stress fracture in his foot, Alston was also injured in the series, and Tracy McGrady was unable to survive alone. The Rockets were eliminated by the Jazz again 2-4, and the team suffered consecutive losses in the first round of the playoffs.
The Jazz built by Sloan once left the Rockets helpless.
In 2011, Sloan ended his long coaching career with the Jazz and was recognized as the best head coach in the history of the team when he left. Many years after
left the game, in 2016, Jerry Sloan announced that he was suffering from Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia, and his condition attracted much attention from the outside world.
In July 2019, the American media reported one after another that Sloan's condition was deteriorating rapidly. Although doctors tried their best to help him resist the disease, the elderly Sloan could no longer resist.
At that time, the "Salt Lake City Tribune" reported that "Sloan's body is now very weak, and his mental state is also very bad. He is completely unable to take care of himself and relies on his relatives and friends to accompany him throughout the process. However, Sloan is still with his family communication, although his consciousness has deteriorated.”
Until May 19, 2020, Utah Jazz star Karl Malone revealed when participating in a live broadcast that Sloan’s physical condition was very poor, and he hoped that everyone could help. Its prayers.
But just three days later, the legendary coach announced his death on May 22.
