Filed under: Jazz, NBA Rumors, NBA Coaches
Only a handful of coaches in any sport at any level gets to walk away from the job on his own terms. Strictly speaking, Jerry Sloan took that walk Thursday afternoon afternoon, and strictly speaking, he was entitled to that after devoting 45 years of his life to the NBA, and the last 23 to coaching the Utah Jazz.
In reality, he deserved to go out better than that, as the target of a palace coup. And now, because of that, the target is on the back of Deron Williams.
Does Williams now become Magic Johnson, or does he just become the public's latest example of a player deluded about his own entitlements, who wins a battle of wills with a Hall of Fame coach but still loses the war?
Magic, of course, was spectacularly and historically right about pulling rank on Paul Westhead 30 years ago. It opened the door for Pat Riley, Showtime, four more Lakers NBA championships to go with the one under Westhead's leadership, and a reputation that obliterated the one he'd acquired after leading the overturn of the former coach.
But Paul Westhead, with all due respect, was not Jerry Sloan, that one ring notwithstanding. And Deron Williams, so far, isn't on the cusp of becoming Magic Johnson.
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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2011/02/10/as-jerry-sloan-exits-too-early-deron-williams-better-know-what/
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