Tom Nissalke, the first ever coach of the Utah Jazz and a longtime fixture in the state, has passed away. Also — another throwback court leak hits the net.
The Utah Jazz lost an important member of their family this week; a foundational piece for the franchise and a person who was key in the team’s big transition from New Orleans to Salt Lake City.
Tom Nissalke, who became the team’s first coach following its move to Utah in 1979, died at his home in Salt Lake City. He was 87.
The Deseret News’ Brad Rock was the first to report his passing.
Nissalke enjoyed a lengthy career in coaching, both in the ABA and the NBA, winning Coach of the Year honors in both leagues. His most successful season at the helm came during the 1976-77 campaign with the Houston Rockets. That year, he and a group led by Rudy Tomjanovich, Calvin Murphy and a young Moses Malone won 49 games and reached the Western Conference Finals.
He also won an NBA title with Lew Alcindor and the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971 while serving as an assistant under head coach Larry Costello. He coached the Puerto Rican national team to a near-upset of Team USA at the 1976 Olympics as well.
Nissalke first came to the Beehive State to coach the Utah Stars over parts of their final two seasons. He later coached the Jazz from ’79 to 1982. When all was said and done, his combined career coaching record in the professional ranks was 371–508.
If you’re a middle-aged Jazz head like me, you likely have fond memories of his work on Jazz radio broadcasts for many years after his coaching career had reached its conclusion. In the ’80s and ’90s, his no-punches-pulled style of analysis enlightened and entertained my generation.
The Wisconsin native was also very active in the Salt Lake chapter of the YMCA.
Nissalke was preceded in death by his wife, Nancy. He is survived by two children — son Thomas Jr. and daughter Holly — as well as two granddaughters.
Throwback court leaked again?
When rumors of the Jazz’s purple mountain uniforms from the mid-’90s surfaced earlier this month, they were accompanied by photos of what looked like a matching throwback court.
On Friday, another possible leak hit the net.
Although there has been no confirmation or official announcement from the NBA, an image dump on Imgur seems to reveal several new court designs from teams across the Association, including the Jazz.
Utah’s court closely resembles the previously leaked photos.
Another view of 🏔 court that is being put together right now #JazzNation #UtahJazz #TakeNote#NBA #NBATwitter pic.twitter.com/eNgKrAv9KY
— JazzNation (@JazzNationNews) August 3, 2019
It’s looking more and more like the ’90s will be back in a big, bad way during the 2019-20 season.