Utah Jazz: Sloan more excited about 5-0 than 1,000-whatever

Team owner Larry H. Miller remembered to bring a ball into the postgame EnergySolutions Arena locker room Friday night, and Utah Jazz players either signed it or planned to sign it soon after it was presented to coach Jerry Sloan.

"That's the 1,000th Jazz win for him," said Utah power forward Carlos Boozer, not exactly giving away any secrets, "so we all congratulated him and signed the ball for him, and we'll pop champagne later.

"We're proud to be part of the team that got it for him, and we're proud to be a team that's going to get him a whole lot more."

Boozer's 21 points in Friday night's 104-97 win over Oklahoma City helped Utah start the season 5-0 and give Sloan his 1,000th coaching victory for the franchise, an NBA record.

Counting his days as head coach in Chicago, Sloan has a career head-coaching mark of 1,094-717. He's 1,000-596 with Utah.

Sloan, of course, accepted the ball and the team's congratulations with little fanfare.

"He said, 'I'm just happy we got our fifth win,'" said Boozer. "He's very basic, and to him, all that matters is that we win.'"

Because the Jazz opened the season 5-0, that historic 1,000th victory came at home, where it could be appreciated most by the 19,911 announced attendance. Had the Jazz lost one, it likely would have happened some time next week during a five-game road trip to the East.

"I knew that it would have been kind of bad to get it on the road," said guard Ronnie Brewer. "We've played so well at home and won so many games at home the past couple years."

"I think for the fans' side of it," said forward C.J. Miles, "it was great to have it at home, but everybody knows coach Sloan. Coach Sloan is about winning games right now.

"He said the most important thing was getting our fifth win. Like, the thousandth win — he shrugged his shoulders, kind of like, 'OK.'"

"I think he was more happy that we started off 5-0," Brewer said.

Sloan's players may have had more of a historical feeling than the guy who set the record.

"Well, it means something. One thousand wins. Twenty years with the Jazz," said center Mehmet Okur. "I'm glad I'm here with him (when) he won 1,000 wins, same time, and I'm happy for (him).

"I wish I had 1,000 wins as a player or a coach."