Monroe: Popovich Praises Hall-Bound Sloan

[duncan228]

Popovich praises Hall-bound Sloan
Mike Monroe

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he was shocked Monday to learn that Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan had been elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

“All of us already assumed he was in the Hall of Fame,” Popovich said before sending the Spurs out to play Sloan's Jazz at the AT&T Center on Friday.

Popovich has been an admirer of Sloan's no-nonsense approach during the Jazz coach's 21 years at the helm in Utah.

“Now, I guess it's become official, but all of us regarded him (as a Hall of Famer), because of his persistence over the years,” Popovich said. “The fine play and execution, day after day and year after year, no matter who's on his team, no matter who's hurt, it never changes, and that comes from him.”

Sloan will enter the Hall of Fame with one of his all-time favorite players, NBA career assists leader John Stockton, as well as Spurs great David Robinson and former Bulls legend Michael Jordan. Sloan insists he doesn't understand what he has done to merit induction in the Hall.

“I never thought those things were important, as long as you're involved with it,” he said. “Maybe a little later on you might look at it and say, ‘Well, it's nice.'

“Bottom line is, I don't look at myself as having done anything in basketball. I got lucky. We had some good players and we won some games, but we never won a championship. But I don't decide that.”

Sloan, whose NBA win total remained at 1,136 games after the Spurs' 105-99 victory, said he hasn't been able to keep track of all the congratulatory messages he has received since Monday's announcement.

One meaningful note was from Motta, the former coach of the Bulls, Wizards, Mavericks and Nuggets who was a major influence on Sloan. Motta coached Sloan for eight seasons with the Chicago Bulls.

Sloan said Motta should be in the Hall of Fame, too.

“I don't have any control over it,” he said. “I don't know what goes on there, but I look at his career and what he did for basketball in this league, and I think he is certainly worthy. He's coached at every level and won a championship with Washington. So I don't know why he isn't in, but I don't make those decisions.

“I thought a lot of that guy, and really loved playing for him. Some guys who didn't like to play hard didn't want to play for him, but I did.”

[wildbill2u]

I always thought people had to be retired before they went into the Hall. Is that waived for coaches?

[PM5K]

They can get in after having coached for a certain number of seasons.