Longtime Utah Jazz coach and Hall of Famer Jerry Sloan is suffering from Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia. The 74-year-old revealed his current health situation in an interview with Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune on Wednesday.
Former Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan has Parkinson’s disease, Lewy body dementia
The Hall of Famer is 74 years old.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Sloan says he decided to go public because his symptoms from Parkinson’s, which include “tremors, a hushed voice and sleeplessness,” have progressed and become more noticeable. He was originally diagnosed with the illnesses last fall.
Parkinson’s disease is “a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement. It develops gradually, sometimes starting with a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand. But while a tremor may be the most well-known sign of Parkinson’s disease, the disorder also commonly causes stiffness or slowing of movement,” according to the Mayo Clinic.
There is no cure for Parkinson’s, only treatments designed to make symptoms less noticeable. However, Sloan says his symptoms from the disease have progressed since he was diagnosed. He is also suffering from Lewy body dementia, which is a “neurological disorder that manifests itself in difficulty with memory, problem solving, planning and analytical thinking.”
Sloan played in the NBA from 1965-76, mostly as a member of the Chicago Bulls. His No. 4 jersey is retired in Chicago and currently sits in the United Center rafters next to Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Bob Love. Sloan also got his first head coaching gig in Chicago from 1979-82 before getting hired in Utah.
He retired from coaching in 2011 after 23 years as the Jazz's head coach. During his time on the bench in Utah, the team compiled a 1,127-682 record and reached the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998. However, Sloan never won an NBA title as those Karl Malone and John Stockton-led teams lost to the Bulls in both championship series.
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