Accidental Tourists

Jerry Sloan was clearly worried, last week, when discussing the Jazz’s preseason trip to Europe.

That’s probably because he’s had a similar experience. He coached the Jazz in 1990 when they began the regular season in Japan. Afterward, he said his team appeared to be “running in mud.”

I was on that trip, and it was weird. Aside from not feeling like a regular season game – it was played at the Metropolitan Gymnasium in Tokyo – it was a tiring way to start the year. I remember coming back after the trip and thinking, “I’m jet-lagged already and there are still 80 games left.”

The Jazz won their first game back in the States, but lost the next four. Still, they ended the season with a 54-28 record. They beat Phoenix in the first round of the playoffs but lost to Portland in the second.

One thing I noticed both then and now: Jerry Sloan doesn’t change his delivery, whether he’s talking to local, national or international media. Some coaches, like Rick Majerus, turn up the charm when the big spotlights are on. Not Sloan. This week, he agreed to be interviewed by the BBC, the oldest and largest TV network on earth.

As you can tell by the delivery, he was as excited as always to talk, rather than coach. BBC.com