Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Former NBA All-Star and legendary Jazz coach Jerry Sloan has died

The Utah Jazz have issued the following statement and background information in response to the passing of NBA and Jazz legend Jerry Sloan earlier this morning due to complications from Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia at the age of 78:

From the Utah Jazz:

“Jerry Sloan will always be synonymous with the Utah Jazz. He will forever be a part of the Utah Jazz organization and we join his family, friends and fans in mourning his loss. We are so thankful for what he accomplished here in Utah and the decades of dedication, loyalty and tenacity he brought to our franchise.

“Our Hall of Fame coach for 23 years, Jerry had a tremendous impact on the Jazz franchise as expressed by his banner hanging in the arena rafters. His 1,223 Jazz coaching wins, 20 trips to the NBA Playoffs and two NBA Finals appearances are remarkable achievements. His hard-nosed approach only made him more beloved. Even after his retirement, his presence at Jazz games always brought a roaring response from the crowd.

“Like Stockton and Malone as players, Jerry Sloan epitomized the organization. He will be greatly missed. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Tammy, the entire Sloan family and all who knew and loved him.”

From the Miller Family:

“It was an honor and a privilege to have one of the greatest and most respected coaches in NBA history coaching our team. We have appreciated our relationship with Jerry and acknowledge his dedication to and passion for the Utah Jazz. He has left an enduring legacy with this franchise and our family. The far-reaching impact of his life has touched our city, state and the world as well as countless players, staff and fans. We pray his family will find solace and comfort in Jerry’s life. The Miller family and Jazz organization will be proud to honor him with a permanent tribute.”

Background:

A 2009 inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Sloan spent 23 seasons as the head coach of the Jazz (1988-2011), finishing his career with the third most wins in NBA history (1,221-803), sixth best winning percentage (.603) all-time (min. 500 wins), two NBA Finals appearances (1997 and 1998) and seven division titles. He also guided the Jazz to 16 consecutive winning seasons and thirteen 50-win seasons. Sloan’s teams made 20 trips to the NBA Playoffs (19 with Utah: 1989-2003, ’07-10) and his 98 playoff wins are the sixth most in NBA history.

Sloan ranks second on the NBA’s all-time list for consecutive games coached with one franchise (1,809), and also owns the second most wins with one team (1,127). Sloan is one of just seven coaches in league history to win at least 50 games in 10 different seasons (Rick Adelman, Don Nelson, Pat Riley, Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich and George Karl). Sloan’s 16 consecutive winning seasons (1988-2004) are fourth-most all-time (Popovich-22, Jackson-20, Riley-19) and he joined Popovich (22), Jackson (11) and Red Auerbach (11) as the only four coaches in NBA history to have 10 straight winning seasons with one team. Sloan was the first coach to ever win 1,000 games with one franchise and was the fifth coach in NBA history to record 1,000 career wins.

After leading the Jazz to a 42-40 record in 2003-04 in the first season following the departures of John Stockton and Karl Malone, Sloan was selected by The Sporting News as the NBA Coach of the Year as voted on by his NBA peers, and was runner-up for the Red Auerbach NBA Coach of the Year as voted by a panel of national media that covers the NBA. He also finished second in NBA Coach of the Year balloting in 2006-07. He was named NBA Western Conference Coach of the Month 10 times during his career. In 2016, Sloan was honored at halftime of that night’s NBA Finals Game 3 in Cleveland as the co-recipient of the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Basketball Coaches Association (along with former Celtics coach K.C. Jones).

Sloan worked for the Jazz organization for 34 years as either head coach, assistant, scout or senior basketball adviser. Sloan started with the Jazz as a scout (1983-84), became an assistant coach to Frank Layden on Nov. 19, 1984, and was named the sixth head coach in franchise history on December 9, 1988, when Layden resigned. Twenty-three seasons and 1,809 games later, Sloan finished his career as the Jazz’s winningest coach based on both wins and winning percentage (1,127-682, .623). The longest tenured coach with one franchise in all of major professional sports at the time of his retirement, there were 245 NBA head coaching changes during his Jazz coaching career. Sloan coached 133 different players during his tenure as head coach of the Jazz.

Sloan’s banner at Vivint Smart Home arena hangs next to five of his former players whose numbers are retired: Mark Eaton (53), Darrell Griffith (35), Jeff Hornacek (14), Karl Malone (32) and John Stockton (12); his former head coach and general manager Frank Layden (1); longtime Jazz owner Larry H. Miller (9), legendary broadcaster “Hot” Rod Hundley (3051) and former Jazz players Adrian Dantley (4) and Pete Maravich (7).

A veteran of the NBA as a player and coach for more than 45 years, prior to joining the Jazz, Sloan coached the Chicago Bulls for three seasons (1979-82) and was a two-time NBA All-Star as a player (1967, 1969) over 11 NBA seasons with Chicago and Baltimore (1965-76). Sloan became the first player in Bulls’ history to have his number retired when the franchise retired his No. 4 jersey on Feb. 17, 1978.

Chicago Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf released the following statement after the passing of Jerry Sloan:

“Jerry Sloan was ‘The Original Bull’ whose tenacious defense and nightly hustle on the court represented the franchise and epitomized the city of Chicago. Jerry was the face of the Bulls organization from its inception through the mid-1970s, and very appropriately, his uniform No. 4 was the first jersey retired by the team. A great player and a Hall-of-Fame NBA coach, most importantly, Jerry was a great person. Our sympathies go out to the Sloan family and all his many fans.”

Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich issued the following statement regarding the passing of Jerry Sloan:

“It’s a sad day for all of us who knew Jerry Sloan. Not only on the basketball court but, more importantly, as a human being. He was genuine and true. And that is rare. He was a mentor for me from afar until I got to know him. A man who suffered no fools, he possessed a humor, often disguised, and had a heart as big as the prairie.”

Bulls reportedly keeping assistant coach Nate Loenser in 2020-21

NBA play may be on pause, but certain organizational decisions can still be made. Per the Chicago Sun-Times, the Bulls will retain the services of assistant coach Nate Loenser for the 2020-21 season:

New executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas has been very aggressive in the revamping of the Bulls, already firing former general manager Gar Forman and head trainer Jeff Tanaka, while allowing current head coach Jim Boylen to mutually agree to part ways with assistant coach Shawn Respert.

Many are hopeful that sometime soon, perhaps in very early June, the NBA may make a decision regarding the remainder of the 2019-20 season and of course, the playoffs.

Former Sacramento columnist and Kings beat writer Marty McNeal has passed away

Tragic news in the sports media world today, as a writer every Kings fan should know has passed away after battling a brutal disease. Here’s the Sacramento Bee reporting:

Marty McNeal has passed away? Those words just don’t seem plausible because anyone who knew the former Kings beat writer for The Sacramento Bee would agree that Martin McNeal was timeless.

He was a life force. He was pure New York swagger. He was not tall but had the intellect and bravado to cut NBA players down to size with his hilariously profane style of “conversating” that was so funny, you couldn’t get mad at him even when you were his target.

McNeal died Thursday in a hospital in Dallas, where he and his family had moved recently after nearly 30 years in Sacramento. His wife Beverly and his son Phillip were at his side. McNeal was 64 and had been battling leukemia.

Kings General Manager Vlade Divac issued the following statement on the passing of McNeal, the team’s beat writer for Bee from 1992 to 2005:

“I am deeply saddened to learn about the passing of my friend Marty Mac. I’ll never forget his incredible sense of humor and he will be forever remembered as a truly iconic figure in both the Sacramento and national media landscape.

“Marty possessed a unique storytelling ability unlike any other, as he tirelessly covered our team and this franchise during countless memorable moments, including some of the best years of my career. He had a magnetic personality, fiercely loved the game and was a legendary writer that inspired and entertained readers of all ages. He was also a beloved mentor and loyal friend to many, as well as a loving husband and father who will be greatly missed.

“On behalf of the entire Kings organization, I want to express our deepest condolences to his wife Beverly, son Phillip, and the entire McNeal family as we keep them all in our hearts, thoughts and prayers during this most difficult time.”

Knicks reportedly hiring Frank Zanin as assistant GM

Here’s the New York Post with some Knicks news:

Leon Rose’s latest addition likely would have earned Kobe Bryant’s approval.

One day after the new Knicks president brought aboard longtime Jazz executive Walt Perrin as the assistant general manager in charge of college scouting, Rose continued his front office makeover by adding former Nets assistant general manager Frank Zanin, who will have the same title with the Knicks, focusing on pro personnel.

Zanin, who has spent the past four seasons as an advance scout for the Thunder, was endorsed by Bryant for the Nets’ GM job in 2016. Zanin and Bryant first became acquainted playing basketball in the Philadelphia-area, where Zanin’s career began as a scout for the 76ers.

And here’s New York Newsday:

Zanin most recently served as a scout for the Thunder, a role he held the last four years. Prior to that, he served a variety of roles for the Nets, joining Billy King, who he had worked for with the 76ers, as a pro personnel scout and then earning promotions to director of player procurement and then assistant general manager…

During his time with the Nets, Zanin was credited with playing a role in signing Mirza Teletovic and re-signing Deron Williams, who coincidentally was drafted by the Jazz when Perrin pushed for the Jazz to trade up to get him.

Adam Sandler will reportedly star in a basketball movie produced by LeBron James

Here’s HollywoodReporter.com with some basketball entertainment news:

Adam Sandler is set to star in the Netflix film Hustle, with We the Animals director Jeremiah Zagar on board to helm and NBA superstar LeBron James set to produce.

In the drama, Sandler will play an American basketball scout who is unjustly fired after discovering a once-in-a-lifetime player abroad. He then decides to bring the player to the U.S. to prove that they both have what it takes to make it in the NBA.

Taylor Materne and Will Fetters penned the script. Happy Madison, Roth/Kirschenbaum Films and James and Maverick Carter’s SpringHill Entertainment will produce the pic.

The latest collaboration between Netflix and Sandler follows the streaming giant extending its partnership with the actor and his Happy Madison Productions by committing to produce four more films that will be distributed exclusively on the platform.

Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic undergoes wrist surgery

Following multiple medical consultations, Utah Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic underwent a successful surgical procedure on Tuesday morning to repair a ruptured scapholunate ligament in his right wrist. The procedure was performed at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Michelle Carlson.

It’s not yet clear how long Bogdanovic’s recovery will take.

The current NBA season is on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, and how it will be concluded remains unknown. But Bogdanovic isn’t expected to play until 2020-21.

Per the Deseret News, “the scapholunate ligament is the main ligament in the wrist that couples extension and the side-to-side motion of the wrist. “It’s probably the most important ligament in the wrist and the most commonly injured one,” said Dr. David Clark Hay, the orthopedic hand and wrist surgeon at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles, who has long worked with professional athletes and is the hand surgery consultant to the Anaheim Ducks.”

In his first season with the Jazz, the sixth-year forward was averaging a career-high 20.2 points on 44.7 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from downtown, 4.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in a career-high 33.1 minutes per contest. Bogdanovic has played in 63 games during the 2019-20 season (all starts) and is one of only two players in the NBA this season to average 20 points, 40 percent from the three-point line and 90 percent from the free-throw line.

After standing out in Europe for half a decade and spending the past five years in the NBA, Bogdanovic signed with the Jazz in July 2019.

Knicks will reportedly hire Walt Perrin for front office

Here’s New York Newsday reporting on a front office addition that the Knicks are set to make:

The Knicks are finalizing a deal to bolster their front office by adding veteran NBA executive Walt Perrin, according to a league source.

Leon Rose, who was named team president March 2, added Brock Aller earlier this month to serve as chief strategist, specializing in helping with the salary cap. In Perrin, Rose lands a seasoned scouting presence.

Perrin is expected to serve as assistant general manager/college scouting. He worked for the Utah Jazz the last 19 years as vice president of player personnel.

And here’s the Deseret News reporting:

Perrin has long been respected throughout the league for being one of the most well connected figures when it comes to NBA prospects and scouting.

A native of Chicago, Perrin started his NBA career as a scout for the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1993 and spent time with the Detroit Pistons in the scouting and coaching departments before joining the Jazz.

Dan Majerle reportedly files lawsuit against Grand Canyon University

Here’s Arizona Sports reporting on former NBA player turned college coach Dan Majerle:

Former Grand Canyon University men’s basketball coach Dan Majerle is suing the school that fired him, according to court documents obtained by Arizona Sports.

Majerle is suing under three causes for action, including breach of contract.

The court documents detail Majerle’s firing and the wrongdoing he alleges, including not providing a severance provision.

Pelicans practice facility reopens for voluntary individual player workouts

Here’s the New Orleans Times-Picayune reporting that the Pelicans practice facility has reopened, with severe limitations for safety reasons due to the cornavirus pandemic:

At the Ochsner Sports Performance Center, there are arrows taped to the floor to instruct players where they can and can’t go. Only two baskets inside the entire facility are available to shoot on. And anyone who goes in must have their temperature checked.

These are just a few of the precautions the Pelicans are taking at their practice facility, which reopened Monday for voluntary individual workouts. David Griffin, the Pelicans’ executive vice president of basketball operations, said seven players worked out. There were three players in the first group and four players in the second group. Both groups spent two hours in the building.

The rules the NBA has put in place about reopening practice facilities are so restrictive, Griffin said he believes some of the players who are social distancing outside of the greater New Orleans area are better positioned to keep their skills sharp than the ones here.

Utah Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic will undergo wrist surgery

Here’s NBA.com reporting on Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic:

Utah Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic will undergo season-ending wrist surgery.

Bogdanovic hurt his right wrist sometime in 2019 and the injury continued to bother him throughout the season…

Bogdanovic was averaging 20.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in his first season with the Jazz.