Utah Jazz Pay Tribute To Jerry Sloan During Playoff Opener
May 23, 2021, 8:16 PM | Updated: 8:16 pm
Utah Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan watches as Utah Jazz forward Paul Millsap (24) throws the ball inbounds as the Utah Jazz and the Minnesota Timberwolves play NBA basketball in Salt Lake City, Utah 1/20/09. (Photo by Tom Smart / Deseret News)
(Photo by Tom Smart / Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Jazz paid tribute to legendary head coach Jerry Sloan during the team’s playoff opener against the Memphis Grizzlies.
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It’s been one year and one day since Jerry Sloan passed away and it’s the first playoff game at home inside Vivint Arena since that time.
After the opening quarter of action, the Jazz played a tribute video in honor of the late coach.
Following the first 12 minutes of game time, Utah led Memphis 24-17.
The @UtahJazz honor coach Jerry Sloan who passed away during the league hiatus last season. #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/le1xOPpa8G
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) May 24, 2021
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame enshrined the 2020 class on Saturday, May 15. During the ceremony, they honored the lives lost since the 2019 induction ceremony with a tribute video. Sloan was included in that video.
On May 22, 2020, Sloan passed away at age 78 following a battle with Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia since April 2016. He was the longest-tenured head coach in American major league sports with the same franchise when he resigned as the head coach of the Jazz on February 10, 2011.
Remembering Coach ❤️ pic.twitter.com/q4J3tToFm5
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) May 24, 2021
Sloan coached the Jazz to 19 playoff appearances in 22 and a half seasons at the helm. During that time, Sloan compiled a 96-100 record in the Playoffs in 196 career postseason games. The Jazz won the Western Conference title twice but were not able to win an NBA title.
Utah started their seven game series with the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, May 23.
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