So, yesterday I read this story on Yahoo about Jerry Sloan almost getting in a fight with Chris Webber. In Webber's own words, this is how it went down:
"Man, one time I set a pick on (John) Stockton and I knocked Stockton to the ground and I gave him a shoulder. And I'm really cool with Stockton, but I was trying to show the rest of the team like I'm going to get the technical, you guys. I'll be the bad guy, come on. Well, Stockton kind of laughed. I laughed. I looked at the bench and Sloan looked at me.
"I said, 'You want some?' He was like, 'Damn right I want some.'
"He started walking toward me. So, you know, it's a good thing there was a ref there because, hey, he's one of the toughest guys in the league. I don't want to fight that guy. So, I'll tell you, when your team is led by one of the toughest guys in the league, your team is going to be tough."
Remember, at this time Chris Webber was like 26, and Jerry Sloan was around 60. That's a pretty fearless old man, especially since his gives up like 6 inches and 50 lbs to Webber. I looked for more stories about Jerry Sloan being a bad motha, and out of what I read this next one was my favorite. I guess many years ago when Sloan played for the Chicago Bulls(by the way, Sloan was the original Chicago Bull. Seriously, he was the first player they ever drafted.) it seems Wilt Chamberlain was physically beating the snot out of everybody on the Bulls team, when Sloan finally gets tired of it. He looks Chamberlain in the eye, utters some profanity at him and give him one hell of a shove. Chamberlain just stands there as Sloan starts to attack. Sloan is restrained, and is asked to leave the court.
In an interview later with Sloan about the incident a reporter asks him how silly it must feel to pick a fight with Chamberlain Sloan looks the reporter in the eye and says, "How do you know he even KNOWS how to fight, I do."
On top of Sloan being tough-as-nails, he's one of the best coaches ever. In fact, his only losing season in the 22 since he's coached the Jazz came the year his wife died of cancer and he had no Karl Malone or John Stockton. So on top of being a tough dude, he's a mighty fine coach too. That's the guy I want coaching my team, the man known as the human chainsaw.
2 comments:
Cool stories-- my opinion of Jerry Sloan hadn't gone much farther than "Whoops, don't read his lips!" I particularly like Webber's quote.
p.s. Can't wait to see you!
2 weeks and 2 days till we getta play. That should be fun, I wanna meet that new baby of yours.
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