On Friday, the NBA's most successful coach in history, Don Nelson, learned the unfortunate news after a walk on his beloved Hawaii beach, with his contemporary coach Jerry Sloan dying at the age of 78 from complications of Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia.
"He's a close friend of mine," Nelson said, "though we got into a fight the first time we met." ”
It was November 8, 1966, playing for the Celtics Nielsen on the road to Sloan's team, the Chicago Bulls. During one round of the game, Nelson was desperately trying to chase Sloan in front of him, but Sloane suddenly made a sharp stop and the two men slammed into each other.
"He framed me," Nelson recalled with a laugh, "he knew I had no choice but to bump into him." Then he won the blow penalty, but he still stood up and tried to hit me. ”
Nelson said he and Sloan waved thousands at each other, but neither hit each other. They were quickly separated by their teammates and referees.
"You weren't going to get sent off the game because of that," Nelson said, "so we kept playing." Sloan didn't have anything to do, he was a tough guy, he had to stand up for himself first, and then turn the page. ”
Sloan played 11 seasons as an NBA player from 1965 to 1976, but he is best known for his 26-year career as an NBA coach, 23 of which were with the Utah Jazz.
At Salt Lake City, he built a team of "few people talking" and led the Jazz to the NBA Finals for two consecutive years in 1997 and 1998. The team's two leaders, Carl Malone and John Stockton, fully reflect Sloane's reticent personality.
While Sloan has never won a championship and surprisingly never won the title of NBA Coach of the Year, George Carr considers Sloan one of the greatest coaches he has ever met.
"I'm going to rank Sloan third and fourth of all the coaches I've played against," said Carr, who is two places behind Sloan in terms of career wins and sixth in history. They are very tough and very holistic. ”
Sloan won't tolerate some of the NBA's. He was demanding but also respectful of people. Every Jazz player I've talked to has a lot of praise for him. ”
Sloan grew up in Illinois as the eldest of ten children. When Sloan was 4 years old, his father died. Sloane would get up before the sun went up, help the family with the farm work, and walk more than two miles to school. People who know Sloan will say he always attributes his excellent professionalism in the NBA to his childhood experience of growing up in poverty.
"Inside Sloane lives a farmer." Phil Jackson said in a text message, "We all love his passion and sportsmanship. ”
Sloane ruled the army strictly and would not tolerate all reasons and excuses. He wants the players to show the same courage as himself, which is his own label. In 2006, when asked if he wanted to be more patient with the youngest player on the team, 19-year-old C.J. Miles, he retorted: "I don't care if he's 19 or 30, if he's going to get a foothold in the NBA, he needs to meet the requirements." We can't change his diaper tonight and help him put on his diapers tomorrow night. That is the reality. ”
Sloan is also extremely protective of his players. So when Kenjan Martin knocks Malone to the ground, it's not Malone who wants to fight Martin, it's Sloan.
Former Jazz head coach Frank Redden once said of Sloan: "No one is going to fight Sloan because you know it's too costly. You may beat him, but in the process, you may lose an eye, an arm, and an egg. ”
Sloane's anger wasn't just directed at his opponents. If he feels that his players have been unfairly blown, he will not hesitate to argue with the referee loudly. In 2003, he was even banned for seven games for shoving referee Kirkland.
Former NBA referee JoeY Crawford has warned young referees that if you decide to give Sloan a T, you should walk away immediately to avoid trouble.
"But Sloan has one thing that's done well," Crawford said, "and he might be angry, but you can feel free to talk to him because he'll never stab him in the back." You can even spray him back, but he's never going to run away to the league the next day to complain like some coaches. ”
"I have a lot of respect for this guy, we're all like that."
Lenny Wilkens said he had seen Sloan's soft side, and at the 1996 Olympics, Wilkens had selected Sloan into his coaching staff, and the relationship was not particularly close at the time, but Wilkens admired Sloan's way of playing and knew that he was respected by the players.
"I love his competitive spirit," said Wilkens, who has the second-best career wins in history, "and his team is always well prepared and he doesn't let his opponents do what they want to do." We all all believe that defense can affect the game. ”
"He, like me, doesn't let his opponents go under the basket easily. That's how we all built our teams. ”
That summer, Wilkens began to appreciate Sloan's sense of humor and passion for the game. When Sloane's conversation involved his family, his face turned mild. And his dedication to the players is also evident.
"He had a big impact on our team," Wilkens said, "and he was the one who could build his authority on the pitch right away." ”
Four years later, Sloan did not become the manager of the 2000 Olympic Team Usa, which makes Wilkens still haunt him.
"I was very disappointed in him," he said, "and I told the organising committee that this was not right. We did a great job in '96, and Sloane was great. ”
Karl said that while Sloan is known for his defense, he also agrees to appreciate Sloan's offensive philosophy.
"In the first few years in Seattle, we went to pack Malone and Stockton, and they came up with ways to destroy us." Carr said he played Sloane's side second only to Adelman, Nelson and Jackson. "His tactics are not complicated, but the army is very strict and the players follow his leadership."
'I love playing against Sloan, his team is tough but collective and knows to be united in the game.'
"Sloan asks his players to be great teammates. He stressed that very much. ”
Sloan was on the hook in 2011, when he ranked third in all-time total wins and is now fourth in history. Spurs coach Popovich, who surpassed Sloan in total wins, issued a statement on Friday praising Sloan as a "sincere and frank man."
"It's a rare quality," Popovich said, "and I saw him as a mentor until I knew him." He was a man of wisdom, a unique sense of humor, a wise man, and a heart as broad as a prairie. ”
Behind Sloan's toughness, Nelson says, is a gentle, funny, even mischievous man. He said in their later years, when their team was in the same city, the two would sometimes sneak out for two drinks.
"I think Sloan is the most competitive of the coaches I've ever played against." Nelson said, "But when the game is over, those are left on the pitch. I remember telling me when he was about to retire that he wanted to go back to his farm and work in the fields with a tractor. ”
While Sloan never picked up the O'Brien Cup, Wilkens said Sloan was happy with his career.
"He's not the kind of guy who cries about what he doesn't achieve," Wilkens said, "and he loves the sport, and that's enough." ”
"There's no doubt that basketball loves him too."