Jerry Sloan Dies At 78

Heim

EOG Master
I feel so old....I remember him and Norm Van Lier in the backcourt and the fits they gave Jerry West and Gail Goodrich...
 

FairWarning

Bells Beer Connoisseur
I know he had severe memory issues. He and Van Lier would have been perfect Bad Boy Pistons. The Bulls has some very good teams in the 70’s, just a scorer short.
 

Heim

EOG Master
I know he had severe memory issues. He and Van Lier would have been perfect Bad Boy Pistons. The Bulls has some very good teams in the 70’s, just a scorer short.


Nobody knew how to take a charge better than Sloan and Van Lier. Unfortunately, neither could shoot worth a shit.
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
Listened to Bulls basketball on the radio in Chicago during the 1970's.

The great Jim Durham on the microphone.

Durham romanticized the pre-Jordan Bulls.

Not sure if I preferred the guard tandem of Van Lier and Sloan or the forward duo of Love and Walker.

HEIM's right about the defensive efforts of Van Lier and Sloan.

Plenty of block/charge calls at the old Chicago Stadium went in favor of the home team.

I also have memories of referee Earl Strom with some flamboyant calls for and against the Bulls.

Strom once ejected Bulls mascot Benny the Bull from a 1974 NBA playoff game.

One note about Jerry Sloan: His coaching style was greatly influenced by Dick Motta.
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
I sometimes confuse legendary NBA referees Mendy Rudolph and Earl Strom.

Rudolph was the one with the gambling problem.
 

jimmythegreek

The opening odds start here
Won better than 62% of the time during his legendary coaching career. RIP Jerry. I believe his official age was 78.
 
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Valuist

EOG Master
Sloan and Van Lier in the backcourt were the most physical backcourt in the 70s. I still think of him as a Bulls player, not a Jazz coach.
 

Bigrunner

EOG Master
Played high school basketball against his son Brian Sloan. When Jerry became head coach of the Bulls he moved his family from Mcleansboro to Glenview or Northbrook. I remember playing against Brian Sloan when he was a Sophmore at Glenbrook H.S.. He was playing varsity, We guarded each other. Brian Sloan played very physical. He was more physical then most players I faced. I shut him down. I believe Brian Sloan became Mr. Basketball of Illinois his Senior year.

Rip Jerry Sloan
 
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Heim

EOG Master
It was a good team.....Love and Walker at forwards and Ray at center. Love had one of my favorite nicknames 'Butterbean'
 

skinny

EOG Addicted
I sometimes confuse legendary NBA referees Mendy Rudolph and Earl Strom.

Rudolph was the one with the gambling problem.
Mendy Rudolph announced some playoff games with Brent Musberger in the 70's.
Earl Strom was a very good ref who had a reputation for favoring the road team, back then refs were intimidated by home crowds that were right on top of you.
Strom went out of his way to show he wouldn't be intimidated.
 

FairWarning

Bells Beer Connoisseur
Played high school basketball against his son Brian Sloan. When Jerry became head coach of the Bulls he moved his family from Mcleansboro to Glenview or Northbrook. I remember playing against Brian Sloan when he was a Sophmore at Glenbrook H.S.. He was playing varsity, We guarded each other. Brian Sloan played very physical. He was more physical then most players I faced. I shut him down. I believe Brian Sloan became Mr. Basketball of Illinois his Senior year.

Rip Jerry Sloan

He was Mr Basketball, wasn’t it for McLeasnsboro? I watched that final.
 

skinny

EOG Addicted
Sloan and Van Lier probably the most physical backcourt ever.
Basketball in the 70's was pretty free-wheeling up and down style, I'm sure not many teams wanted to play the bulls.
I remember quite a few fights involving those guys.
 

FairWarning

Bells Beer Connoisseur
I remembered Brian Sloan as a player at Indiana. I knew he had played in downstate Illinois, but Big Runner's story sounded legitimate. So here's the answer:

Brian Sloan started at McLeansboro, then transferred to Glenbrook for his sophomore year, then back downstate after his dad was fired as the Bulls coach.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1991-02-01-9101100367-story.html
Certainly not doubting BR's story, I didn't know he was at Glenbrook also. It seemed like Indiana had 2-3 Brian Sloan-types thruout the 80's and 90's on their teams.
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
Played high school basketball against his son Brian Sloan. When Jerry became head coach of the Bulls he moved his family from Mcleansboro to Glenview or Northbrook. I remember playing against Brian Sloan when he was a Sophmore at Glenbrook H.S.. He was playing varsity, We guarded each other. Brian Sloan played very physical. He was more physical then most players I faced. I shut him down. I believe Brian Sloan became Mr. Basketball of Illinois his Senior year.

Rip Jerry Sloan


Good story, BIGRUNNER.

Nothing political about this post.

Stop the presses!
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
It was a good team.....Love and Walker at forwards and Ray at center. Love had one of my favorite nicknames 'Butterbean'

"Butterbean" Love and Chet "The Jet" Walker.

Bulls radio announcer Jim Durham liked to describe Walker's opponents being "put in the popcorn machine" when "Chet the Jet" used a couple of head fakes.

Great visual.
 
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FairWarning

Bells Beer Connoisseur
"Butterbean" Love and Chet "The Jet" Walker.

Bulls announcer Jim Durham liked to describe Walker's opponents being "put in the popcorn machine" when "Chet the Jet" used a couple of head fakes.

Great visual.

Chet Walker was a HS basketball legend across the lake here in Benton Harbor. Played in one of the most famous Mich HS finals vs Dave DeBussure.
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
Boerwinkle was my favorite.....


Boerwinkle, your favorite?

Recorded more career rebounds than points.

Though he did throw some sweet backdoor passes to Bob Weiss.

Not many in the NBA look like the two players pictured below.


1590194741144.png
 

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FairWarning

Bells Beer Connoisseur
Interesting note: Sloan's teammate, Tom Boerwinkle, also was a fourth overall pick in the NBA Draft.

Sloan in 1965 and Boerwinkle in 1968.
I never would have guessed that. Servicable center. Too bad the WC had Alcindor, Chamberlain, Hayes, Thurmund, Tomjanovich, Lanier.
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
"Long Tom" played at Tennessee.

A knee injury early in his career relegated him to back-up status for the majority of his career.
 

lap18

EOG Dedicated
I grew up 25 miles from Mcleansboro....my brother has lived there for years. Jerry Sloan famous in that small town for sure.
Bigrunner with a great post.
Sloan was a staunch republican known downstate for his support unwavering support to that party.
 

Bigrunner

EOG Master
I grew up 25 miles from Mcleansboro....my brother has lived there for years. Jerry Sloan famous in that small town for sure.
Bigrunner with a great post.
Sloan was a staunch republican known downstate for his support unwavering support to that party.

Not sure how close Effingham is to where you grew up. But both Ewe and Olaf Blab went to Effingham as German exchange students. Ewe had a very good career at Indiana and had a good NBA career. Olaf went to Illinois and later may have transferred to Indiana. Anyway my Sophmore year in college I went to the Kentucky Derby with a gambling buddy from high school. My friend went to Illinois and was friends with Olaf. My friend talked his father into sponsoring his trip to the Derby the year Swale won. I got a ride from WIUI to campaign to meet my friend. When I got there my friend introduces me to Olaf. He says "Olaf is going to the derby with us, he wants to see America's countryside.

The rest of the story. I mentioned his father sponsored the trip. Well that included 300 t-shirts that said "Dawn at the Downs" and had a twin spires silk screen on, that we were gonna sell.

My idiot friend rents a Mercury Lynx. Can you believe that. Olaf Blab was at least 6'10" and I was 6'5", and the idiot rents a Mercury Lynx. We get to Churchill, and security lets us bring the t-shirts thru the admission gates even after my friend gets caught with a pipe and bag of weed. Like I said, he was an idiot. Olaf didnt sell any t-shirts but I sold a lot of them.

That same night we drove back to Campaign in the Lynx. Olaf was at the wheel and all of a sudden the lights on the car started going off. Olaf says i didn't do anything. Well it turned out his knees were hitting some of the turn on buttons. It was hilarious, especially after being without sleep for almost a day.
 
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John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
Why can't we get this BIGRUNNER every day?

BIGRUNNER and Olaf Blab, classic story.

I remember Olaf's brother Ewe (pronounced OO-VAY).

Bob Knight chewed out Ewe non-stop.

That's when Knight merely hollered at his players before his mental sickness grew and he started to choke them.
 
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Heim

EOG Master
Sloan's kid played with starting C/F Dean Garrett at Indiana. Garrett was the race & sports book director at the Flamingo.
 

lap18

EOG Dedicated
Not sure how close Effingham is to where you grew up. But both Ewe and Olaf Blab went to Effingham as German exchange students. Ewe had a very good career at Indiana and had a good NBA career. Olaf went to Illinois and later may have transferred to Indiana. Anyway my Sophmore year in college I went to the Kentucky Derby with a gambling buddy from high school. My friend went to Illinois and was friends with Olaf. My friend talked his father into sponsoring his trip to the Derby the year Swale won. I got a ride from WIUI to campaign to meet my friend. When I got there my friend introduces me to Olaf. He says "Olaf is going to the derby with us, he wants to see America's countryside.

The rest of the story. I mentioned his father sponsored the trip. Well that included 300 t-shirts that said "Dawn at the Downs" and had a twin spires silk screen on, that we were gonna sell.

My idiot friend rents a Mercury Lynx. Can you believe that. Olaf Blab was at least 6'10" and I was 6'5", and the idiot rents a Mercury Lynx. We get to Churchill, and security lets us bring the t-shirts thru the admission gates even after my friend gets caught with a pipe and bag of weed. Like I said, he was an idiot. Olaf didnt sell any t-shirts but I sold a lot of them.

That same night we drove back to Campaign in the Lynx. Olaf was at the wheel and all of a sudden the lights on the car started going off. Olaf says i didn't do anything. Well it turned out his knees were hitting some of the turn on buttons. It was hilarious, especially after being without sleep for almost a day.


Effingham close. I remember the blab... big boy in Highschool for Effingham, I'm from a small town..Ridgway. We won state tittle class A in 1973.
And I'm not sure what party Sloan supported...that was a fib
 

Bigrunner

EOG Master
Sloan's kid played with starting C/F Dean Garrett at Indiana. Garrett was the race & sports book director at the Flamingo.

Those were great teams. Steve Alford, Keith Smart, Ricky Calloway, and Dean Garrett. Brian Sloan who was listed as 6'8" didn't play much. 6' 8" ia a stretch.
 

Bigrunner

EOG Master
Effingham close. I remember the blab... big boy in Highschool for Effingham, I'm from a small town..Ridgway. We won state tittle class A in 1973.
And I'm not sure what party Sloan supported...that was a fib

Nothing wrong with a fib here & there. I believed you.
 

Valuist

EOG Master
Agree it was a good story from BR.

Was there any doubt Brian Sloan would go to IU to play for Knight? His dad was a hard ass and learned from Dick Motta.

So many people in Chicago really had no idea how good the pre-Jordan Bulls teams of the 70s were. Van Lier/Sloan/Walker/Love and a flurry of centers, with Boerwinkle, Clifford Ray, Nate Thurmond, and then Artis Gilmore, who still had a few good years left. Only one Finals appearance; going down in flames to a Rick Barry led Warriors team.
 

Bigrunner

EOG Master
I remember one season, it might have been deemed the miracle on Madison Street. Bulls made a late push and I think they made the playoffs? City was pretty excited. For some reason I thought they played Portland in playoffs. But that's probably isnt possible since they weren't in the same conference. Gilmore was the center the year I'm thinking about. John Crash Mengelt
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
The Bulls were in the Western Conference when they were defeated by the Blazers in the 1977 NBA Playoffs.

Dare I say when Jimmy Carter was in the White House?

Haha.
 

Bigrunner

EOG Master
The Bulls were in the Western Conference when they were defeated by the Blazers in the 1977 NBA Playoffs.

Dare I say when Jimmy Carter was in the White House?

Haha.

I think they won their last 22 out of 25 to make the playoffs that season. Making it "The Miracle on Madison Street" season.
 
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