Jazz brass call Hall of Fame invite a 'terrific honor' for Sloan, Stockton News Utah Jazz

NEW ORLEANS ? News that coach Jerry Sloan will join point guard John Stockton as an inductee to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame when this year's class of enshrines are officially announced Monday was met with pride by Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor. "If it is (true)," said O'Connor, who had not spoken with Sloan on Saturday, "I think the fact is he's been somebody that's been successful and consistent for a long period of time, and those qualities mean hall of fame."

O'Connor on Saturday called the anticipated announcement of election for both "a terrific honor for the organization, too." "One 19, one 21 years," the Jazz GM said with reference to how many seasons Stockton played for the Jazz and how long Sloan has coached the club. "They're synonymous with the Utah Jazz ," O'Connor added. "A lot of people work a lot in a lot of places, but both of them put in a lot of work in one place." Sloan, 67, spent Saturday in his native McLeansboro, Ill., where he attended the funeral of his 80-year-old brother Buck. Late last week, he addressed - and downplayed - the possibility of joining shoo-ins Stockton, Michael Jordan and David Robinson as an inductee. "That would be a tremendous honor for anyone," he said. "But I don't look at myself as (a hall-of-famer). "I've been fortunate that I've had a job that they stuck with me, through the good times and the bad times," added Sloan, who missed Friday night's loss at Minnesota but is expected to rejoin the team in time for tonight's game at New Orleans here. "It's just a matter of longevity as much as anything." Others, however, do consider Sloan ? who earlier this season both worked his 1,000th victory as Jazz coach and celebrated his 20th anniversary of replacing former coach Frank Layden ? quite hall-worthy. "How many coaches in any sport have been around that long, have been consistent?" said retired shooting guard Jeff Hornacek, now a part-time Jazz assistant coach. "Taken different groups of guys, and run the same stuff for years and years, and still win? "He's a guy that guys love to play for," Hornacek added. "If you like work hard, and play hard, and play the game the way you're supposed to, you love playing for him. He's kind of set that standard for hard work." The entire Class of 2009 will be enshrined in September, when ceremonies take place at the hall in Springfield, Mass. E-MAIL: tbuckley@desnews.com