Despite how it all ended between Jerry Sloan and the Utah Jazz, he is still recognized for the impact he left on the franchise. They've already retired him in the rafters, and they have a permanent patch on their jersey following his passing. Still, after the Los Angeles Lakers gave Pat Riley a statue, there's no reason not to do the same.
The Lakers recently unveiled their statue of Riley, who played a huge role in their dynasty back in the 80s.
Pat Riley's statue has been unveiled in Los Angeles!
— NBA (@NBA) February 22, 2026
9 years.
7 finals.
4 championships.
Congrats to the Godfather of Showtime 👏 pic.twitter.com/QvwBuGuvGZ
(For what it's worth, it's better than the one Miami gave Dwyane Wade last year)
Riley deserves such an honor, no doubt. Also, he took the Lakers to higher heights than Sloan took the Jazz, though it helps to have two of the 10 best players in NBA history - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson -on the same team for a decade.
He made his mark on the Lakers, and even if Sloan never quite got the Jazz over the hump, he undoubtedly played a role in vaulting the Jazz to a level of respectability they did not see before or since.
He really was a Jazz legend who deserves the same appreciation Utah gave Karl Malone and John Stockton, whose statues are prominently displayed in front of the Delta Center.
This topic has come up before
The prospect of a Sloan statue has been brought up before and after his death in 2020. Days like today serve as a good reminder that they should do this because Sloan definitely earned it. One could argue that because Sloan didn't exactly leave the Jazz on good terms, that could play a factor in hwy they haven't.
But hey, things didn't end well between Riley and the Lakers when they parted ways. That still didn't stop the Lakers from giving him the tribute he deserved. They still revere him for what he did for the franchise, just like the Jazz still do with Sloan.
Okay, so point made. Utah should erect a statue of Sloan to further boost his influence on the Jazz, but when should this happen? Look no further than this fall, when the Jazz flip the switch next season. Remembering the legends of yesteryear can make fans even more excited for what's to come next season.
Franchises have done this in the past when they believe they are on the verge of something special. Utah is primed to start a new era of basketball that may not necessarily rival the Malone/Stockton/Sloan era, but has the potential to if all goes right for them.
What better to kick off a new era than by celebrating a legend who set the bar?