As tumultuous a summer as they have endured, particularly in respect to Carlos Boozer, the Jazz will be in for a celebration this month when John Stockton and coach Jerry Sloan are inducted Sept. 11 to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.
The only regret is that Karl Malone won't be joining them to complete the holy trinity of Jazz history. By playing a final season with the Lakers, Malone isn't eligible for induction for another year, when he is certain to be part of the Class of 2010. "I don't want to step in John and Karl's way," Sloan said. "They're the ones who did all the work. They're the ones who probably helped keep me here along with (late owner) Larry Miller and everything like that over the years. "I certainly don't want to take anything away from them by me tagging along. I tagged along for a long time."
Despite his stature as the only coach in NBA history to win 1,000 games with a single team, Sloan was initially hesitant about the Hall. He had to be talked into being nominated by his family and children.
Although he never has won a championship or a Coach of the Year award, Sloan was elected to the Hall in his first year of eligibility. As little as he covets the spotlight, Sloan wasn't sure if he'd be able to enjoy induction weekend.
"I don't know if I can or not, to be honest about it," Sloan said. "There's so many emotions that will run through me, I'm sure. I just hope I can get through the day."
Sloan will be joined by several former players and teammates -- including one from grade school -- for the ceremony. He declined to reveal who would be presenting him and said his speech was still a work in progress.
Sloan gave credit to longtime assistant Phil Johnson as well as his former coach Dick Motta. After 20 years on the job in Utah, Sloan also had to thank the Miller family for sticking with him even in difficult times.
"That takes toughness for them," Sloan said, "because it's easy to turn your head and say, 'OK, let's get another person in here.' They gave you all the support that you needed and didn't crumble when it got tough."
