Before there was Jerry Sloan the Hall of Fame coach in Utah, there was Jerry Sloan the Bulls legendary hard-nosed forward.
The retired No. 4 hanging in the rafters of the United Center has always been a reminder of that.
On Friday, it was announced that Sloan died at the age of 78 from complications from Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia.
“Jerry Sloan was ‘The Original Bull’ whose tenacious defense and nightly hustle on the court represented the franchise and epitomized the city of Chicago,’’ Bulls board chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. “Jerry was the face of the Bulls organization from its inception through the mid-1970s, and very appropriately, his uniform No. 4 was the first jersey retired by the team. A great player and a Hall-of-Fame NBA coach, most importantly, Jerry was a great person. Our sympathies go out to the Sloan family and all his many fans.’’
Sloan, who wore that “Original Bulls’’ title proudly, quickly became a fan favorite after the he was nabbed from the Baltimore Bullets in the 1966 expansion draft. Thanks to the likes of Sloan, Bob Love, Norm Van Lier and Nate Thurmond, the Bulls made the playoffs in seven of their first eight seasons, but never reached the finals, losing in the conference finals twice.
“The Original Bull.”
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) May 22, 2020
Rest in peace, Jerry Sloan ❤️
Sloan averaged 14 points per game in his career, including a career-best 18.3 points per game during the 1970-71 season. He was a two-time All-Star and was named All-Defensive First Team four times.
His coaching career actually started with the Bulls, first as an assistant in the 1978 season, and then as the head coach from 1979-82.
After he was fired, he found his way to Utah, where he turned the Jazz into a powerhouse, missing the playoffs in only three of the 22-plus seasons he coached. Sloan resigned during the 2010-11 season with a ridiculous 2,024 games coached, and 1,221 wins.
His two losses in the NBA Finals both came at the hands of Michael Jordan and the Bulls.
As for the No. 4, the Bulls retired in 1978. It became the first retired jersey number in franchise history.
