Jerry Sloan Will Be Honored by Jazz with '1,223' Jersey Patch at NBA Restart
July 21, 2020
The Utah Jazz unveiled a patch Tuesday dedicated to former head coach Jerry Sloan that they will wear for the remainder of the 2019-20 NBA season.
The patch will bear the number 1,223, reflecting the Jazz's number of victories while Sloan served as head coach from 1988 to 2011.
Next season, Utah's jerseys will have a black strip with the same design.
The Hall of Famer resigned in 2011 as one of the winningest coaches in NBA history. His 1,221 regular-season wins with the Jazz and the Chicago Bulls are the fourth-most ever.
Under Sloan's watch, the Jazz reached the Western Conference Finals in 1992, 1994, 1996 and 2007. Utah was a conference champion in 1997 and 1998 but lost to the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals both years. Only three times in his 22 full seasons on the Jazz sideline did the franchise fail to make the playoffs.
Sloan died in May at age 78 from complications from Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia.
The Jazz are making the 1,223 patch available for purchase for $12.23 and donating the proceeds to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which works to find a cure for Parkinson's disease.
Utah is set to resume its season July 30 against the New Orleans Pelicans.
