Yes, this has nothing to do with Indian basketball. Well, it's been a year since my last basketball related blog, and since then have been steadily losing touch with NBA news or on Indian Basketball. When I read about Jerry Sloan retiring, and some of the comments on his timing, including Karl Malone's that Sloan's not a 'quitter', just irked me that some of these past legends have it tough.
I remember watching Sloan's Jazz being denied repeatedly by Jordan's Bulls, I remember the 'postman' Malone, and the combination of 'Stockton-Malone' pick'n'roll being repeatedly, and successfully used by Jazz. To be repeatedly denied at the pinnacle must hurt, yet they kept making it to the finals, year after year. Something about the way they play the game impressed not just the TV audience but also many of the wannabe's. Routine, grit, discipline - everything that seemed like plain ol' vanilla (like their home jersey), used to be something which I'd associate with Jazz. It was a team that I loved to hate at the beginning, playing old school basketball, having tough guys (Malone used to play so tough & look mean too... ! :-)) then a team which I paid more attention to later on. Respect, that's what Sloan commanded, and that's what he earned the team.
Jerry Slaon is a great coach that I was lucky enough to see on TV (thanks to repeated finals playoffs), and along with Stockton-Malone, were the people that I knew respected, and followed in Jazz.
I remember watching Sloan's Jazz being denied repeatedly by Jordan's Bulls, I remember the 'postman' Malone, and the combination of 'Stockton-Malone' pick'n'roll being repeatedly, and successfully used by Jazz. To be repeatedly denied at the pinnacle must hurt, yet they kept making it to the finals, year after year. Something about the way they play the game impressed not just the TV audience but also many of the wannabe's. Routine, grit, discipline - everything that seemed like plain ol' vanilla (like their home jersey), used to be something which I'd associate with Jazz. It was a team that I loved to hate at the beginning, playing old school basketball, having tough guys (Malone used to play so tough & look mean too... ! :-)) then a team which I paid more attention to later on. Respect, that's what Sloan commanded, and that's what he earned the team.
Jerry Slaon is a great coach that I was lucky enough to see on TV (thanks to repeated finals playoffs), and along with Stockton-Malone, were the people that I knew respected, and followed in Jazz.
