Reaction to the death of Hall of Famer Jerry Sloan

Updated May. 22, 2020 6:21 p.m. ET

Associated Press

Reaction to the death of longtime Utah Jazz coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Jerry Sloan. He died Friday at the age of 78:

“Jerry Sloan was among the NBA’s most respected and admired legends.” — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver

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“It’s a sad day for all of us who knew Jerry Sloan. Not only on the basketball court but, more importantly, as a human being. He was genuine and true. And that is rare. He was a mentor for me from afar until I got to know him. A man who suffered no fools, he possessed a humor, often disguised, and had a heart as big as the prairie.” — San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich

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“Jerry Sloan will always be synonymous with the Utah Jazz. He will forever be a part of the Utah Jazz organization and we join his family, friends and fans in mourning his loss. We are so thankful for what he accomplished here in Utah and the decades of dedication, loyalty and tenacity he brought to our franchise.” — Statement from the Utah Jazz

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“I was honored by the opportunity to follow in Coach Sloan’s giant footsteps, and subsequently humbled by the task of trying to uphold the standards and the success that are synonymous with his legacy. The clear identity that he established for Jazz Basketball — unselfishness, toughness and the essential importance of Team – has always left a palpable responsibility to strive for in carrying forward.” — Jazz coach Quin Snyder

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“It was a privilege to play against a Jerry Sloan coached team, I always knew that we would be severely tested. His overall philosophy on both sides of the ball was fundamentally solid and always one step ahead of the game.” — Miami Heat President Pat Riley

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“He was a great coach and a great player, too. You tend to forget just how good certain players were. And Jerry, for rebounding, for defense, for toughness, there weren’t many players in his category for those three things.” — longtime NBA executive Rod Thorn

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“Jerry, in my mind, is one of the top five coaches that I coached against. Because of that, I would say he’s probably one of the top five coaches in NBA history. ... Jerry was a very loyal and very demanding old-school coach. It was all about playing the right way and playing hard. It’s pretty simple: If you didn’t play hard and you didn’t play the right way, you didn’t play.” — longtime NBA coach George Karl

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“Thank you for the opportunities, thank you for the lessons, thank you for help mold me into a great basketball player and man. I will always bring my “lunch pail” to work! RIP Coach Sloan” — former Utah forward Paul Millsap

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“Blessed that I got to play for him and learn so much from him during my 5 1/2 years in Utah. You knew he always had your back when you stepped out on that court.” -- former Utah guard Deron Williams

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“We lost a great one.” -- former NBA guard Baron Davis

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“I didn’t get to spend a lot of time playing for Coach Sloan, but coming in as a rookie he had a major impact on my transition to the NBA. I’m grateful for that. Prayers to his family, friends and loved ones.” — former Utah forward Gordon Hayward

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“I loved everything about Jerry Sloan, from the way he played to the way he coached. He was a tenacious competitor who represented the Bulls of the ’70s so well. Jerry became one of my favorite coaches when he was on the 1996 Dream Team staff and it was an honor to learn from him.” — Chicago Bulls great Scottie Pippen

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“Jerry Sloan was a warrior. I got to know him through Coach Clem Haskins when I was an assistant coach in 1980 at Western Kentucky. They played together on the Chicago Bulls. Jerry and Clem spoke every summer at our camp. They would tell stories about their playing days, and I hung on every word. I would never have imagined we would be coaching against each other when I was an assistant at Seattle and then as a head coach myself. All of us who love to coach have learned many lessons from Coach Sloan. I send my thoughts to his family and he will be truly missed.” — Detroit coach Dwane Casey