4. Jerry Sloan wins a thousand for the Utah Jazz
It was the beginning of the 2008-09 season, and the Utah Jazz were looking to get back to the Western Conference Finals after falling short by one round the previous spring. They were off to a perfect 4-0 start to the season despite not having Deron Williams available.
The newly dubbed Oklahoma City Thunder came to play in Energy Solutions Arena, led by young sophomores Kevin Durant and Jeff Green.
The Thunder jumped out to an early eight-point lead, but the Jazz stormed back winning the first and second quarters quite handily. Then the Jazz slowly let the Thunder chip away at a 29 point lead, cutting it down to 10 points several times.
In the final minute, the Jazz allowed Kevin Durant and Earl Watson to make shots that put the Thunder within seven points, but it was too little too late. The Jazz were able to hold on for their fifth straight win.
Not only was it their fifth win of a perfect season, but it was the thousandth win Jerry Sloan had coached as a member of the Utah Jazz.
Sloan had gotten to a thousand career wins the year earlier, but reaching that mark with one team has only been matched by Gregg Popovich.
That Jazz team of 2008-09 exemplified the Sloan style of toughness and grit. Sloan’s stable of workhorses included Paul Millsap, Ronnie Brewer, and Matt Harpring who truly brought hustle and tenacity to the floor every second they played.
Jerry has a well-deserved banner in the rafters of Vivint Smart Home Arena noting his 1223 wins for the Utah Jazz. When a reporter asked which of his 1223 wins was his favorite, he gave us a classic Jerry response, joking, “I thought that number was the number of technical fouls I had.”