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Utah Jazz coach 1st in NBA history to net 1,000 wins with same team

Sloan will be in the Hall of Fame and someone will have to find him in some Illinois field covered in dirt and grime to tell him. His reaction will be something like, "Really? Okay well I have to get back to work. Have a nice day." He will ride off into the sunset on a JD tractor. We all know Sloan has done more with less than other coaches who according to the media are great, Jackson to name one. We all know Sloan doesn't team jump to to stay on top with the latest flavor of superstars like other allegedly better coaches. Rings DO NOT make someone great they make someone popular. There is a difference.

I don't like Sloan but you have to hand it to him. He has managed to keep his job when everyone else is being fired. I don't agree with his set substitutions or the way he talks down to his players. He is afraid to let rookies get playing time. I like the idea that he preaches defense but he doesn't seem to get much out of his players on the defensive end. I don't like the pick and roll offense but it works with Boozer and Dwill. But he should have won one championship with Stockton and Malone and he didn't.

Sloan's attitude towards all things praise-worthy is almost irksome. Can't the guy at least for a FEW SECONDS show some pride and joy in an accomplishment? He almost comes off as FAKE by always discrediting every iota of praise thrown on him. Damn, it's IRRITATING.

CONGRATS on 1K with the Utah Jazz Jerry.

How can anyone disapprove of the mans attitude? In that he hasn't won a championship he refuses to gloat or take pride in something he is not coaching for. He is a winner, and a championship is the reason he still walks Utah's sideline today. Once he accomplishes his ultimate goal, sloan might smile and take time to smell roses he never noticed. But his intense focus and undying presence on the court is what will always intrigue me about the man and the legend that is Sloan.

Pity poor Penny. Not an existential bone in your body. Oh blather aren't you great.

Sometimes you just don't know what you have until it isn't there anymore. Luckily Jerry Sloan is still coaching the Jazz and I hope he will continue to do so for a long time. Keep up the great work Jerry! Salt Lake is so lucky to have such a great team!

GO JAZZ! This team can win a championship this year!

Penny...he learned it from Stockton!!!

Sloan is 'old school' and thinks praise, accolades are all the trappings that come with it are...not that important. It's not 'irksome' or 'fake' as Penny suggested...it's who he is.

My guess is that Sloan would trade the 1,000 wins for 1 NBA title.

Congatulations to Phil for being the longest tenured top assistant coach (probably in any sport) with the same team! Sure, Jerry deserves accolades, but so does Phil.

I have always thought Coach Sloan as genuine, though I have never met him. His consistency over the years reveals a true character that wants to win, especially a championship and team accomplishment, but he's not as high on individual adulation.

As for coaching defense...the Jazz have had good individual defenders (think of Kirilenko on the current roster). This seems consistent throughout the league, other than San Antonio. Individuals put forward great effort on the defensive end, but defense requires effort and I don't see a lot of NBA players willing to put forth that kind of effort. They want scoring numbers and highlight dunks. Not rebounds, blocks, steals, and tough nosed defensive work. I don't think that is Sloan's fault.

The pick & roll yields high % shots and works well for the Jazz (50 win seasons). It is an offensive system that has given post-season play but no championships. I don't blame Sloan for no championships. That would be one Michael Jordan.

Rookies are not high % "shots". They make mistakes. Sloan's offense requires precision so Rookies sit and learn for awhile.

I love Sloan. He earns high admiration.

Way to go Jerry. ESPN this morning gave you your 15 seconds of fame. They gave more time to how much a OK state lineman can bench press (not a lie). No respect for a future hall-of-famer...

We live in a society where individual goals/achiements have becoming more important. So it sometimes does not look normal for guys like Jerry Sloan or Stockton who don't really show much emotion on their individual achievements.

Often you hear, "well Sloan had Stock and Malone". You tell me who could win 60% of their games for 20+ years with gus like:

Jim Farmer
Todd Fuller
Ike Austin
Carlos Arroyo
John Amechi
Corey Crowder
Jarren Collins
Curt Borchard
Raymond Brown
Tony Brown
Chad Gallager
Eric White
Robert Whaley
Jason Hart
Eddie Hughes
Jamie Watson
Eric Johnson
Jock Von
Mel Turpin
Kelly Tripuka
Adam Kweef
Bob Thorton
Brooks Thompson
Deshon Stevenson
Kirk Snyder
Bart Kofoed
Eric Leckner
Jim Less
Darren Morningstar
Eric Murdock
Mike Ruffin
Delaney Rudd
Scott Roth
Ruben Nembhard
Greg Ostertag
Olden Police/Polynice
Walt Palmer
Jose Ortiz
Dan O'Sullivan
Scott Padgett
Milt Palacio

No other coach could win with guys like this. Lets take our hats off to this man. He is a legend and we are witnessing history.

Now that Sloan and Phil have some talent on the bench, this team could go far. Maybe all the way. Maybe not this year but they could make some serious noise. Don't book May and June for family vacations just yet Jazzland folks. We may still be watching ball.

re:Penny | 1:58 a.m.

"Sloan's attitude towards all things praise-worthy is almost irksome."

That's who Sloan is. He doesnt need extrinsic praise to feel "precious". He is a man driven intrinsically, the only thing he cares about pleasing is his vision of how his team should play each night.

Very few people have this quality, so it is hard to understand.

Jerry, I hope someday you can relax and realize how much joy you have brought to so many people, helped them through tough spots in their lives, where maybe, the only good thing that happened that day or week, was a solid Jazz win.

The people of Jazz Fandom owe you a huge Thank You, and I hope someday that will mean something to you.

I remember like it was yesterday the day that Frank Layden resigned as the team's coach. Karl Malone was so upset he wore Layden's college number on the back of his sneakers for the rest of the year. I thought for sure that the Jazz' brief respite out of the abyss of the NBA cellar would be short lived.

Little did I know.

True, someone else might have one a championship or two but wouldn't have had the long-term success that Sloan has had.

And I'll take the longevity any day.

The recognition should go to Larry Miller for sticking with him and Malone and Stocton for their abilities and attitudes. Sloan is a solid coach nothing more nothing less

He's an interesting study for sure. I like his style because he gets results. This team reflects his discipline and level head. No he doesn't gloat and drool at success and keeps heads out of the clouds. The fans and media do enough of that to overcompensate.

Sloan's attitude is the same as Stockton's was -Let me do my job and go home.--He just isn't interested in awards or hype and hoopla. I personally admire the man for it.

Hats off to Jerry! What an amasing accomplishment. Hats off to Phil and Larry for their part as well.

Also it appears to me so far this year that Jerry Sloan is coaching the best he ever has. And that is saying alot when you look at his results over his long tenured career.

It also seems that he has mellowed...slightly. Maybe D-will has something to do with that.

Adam "Kweef"? Methinks that's an unfortunate typo...or somebody has a problem with the Keefemeister.