Jerry Sloan Has No Beef With Carlos Boozer
Being a Jazz fan can be very dramatic. We hold Kevin Federline-sized grudges and we take everything personally. Karl Malone wants to leave us for the Lakers? We hate you and will boo you. Rony Seikaly and Derek Harper don’t want to play in Salt Lake because of the lack of nightlife? Ditto.
Right now, Carlos Boozer is comfortably holding down the top spot on Jazz fans’ sh*t list. Previous to this summer, Boozer was already skating on thin ice with Utah fans because they feel his play is inconsistent, he doesn’t play hurt and he always expresses his interest in playing for Miami. Boozer’s inability to keep his mouth shut this summer was the final straw for Jazz nation.
Boozer told reporters earlier this offseason that the Jazz agreed to trade him – a claim Jazz officials deny. His quote about wanting to play in Miami because of tax reasons also didn’t sit well with fans. No doubt, things will get awkward come training camp if he is still there. After locking up Paul Millsap to a long-term deal, Utah’s front office would love to rid themselves of Boozer’s contract and questionable attitude.
One person who isn’t going to be sensitive about the situation if Boozer reports to camp is Jerry Sloan. Today, the legendary coach told Ross Siler of the Salt Lake Tribune that, “That’s a part of basketball. I could have had hard feelings with Karl Malone if I had wanted to a few times. My job is to coach whoever walks across this line. And that’s all we do is do the best we can and hopefully be a good basketball team.”
That’s why I love Sloan so much. He’s above the pettiness and he’s all about taking care of business. I bet he’d even coach John Amaechi again if need be.
Source: The Salt Lake Tribune
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September 2nd, 2009 at 2:40 pm
Heckler...formerly 'Yallallreadyknow' says:
Jazz nation?
who the hell gives a f*ck about them?!!?
RIP Larry Miller…
September 2nd, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Ahoapap says:
@Heckler me.
September 2nd, 2009 at 3:00 pm
RonNation says:
jazz play the purest basketball in the L
September 2nd, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Gerald Narciso says:
Who cares about the Jazz? We average over 19,000 a game and are always in the top 10 or 5 in attendance. And who around the world doesn’t like watching Deron Williams???
September 2nd, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Scott says:
Gerald you may want to ease up on the homophobic Amaechi lines … Dime may actually have some gay readers
September 2nd, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Mellmeister says:
Trade BOOZER to Miami… since he said that he wants to go there… then let him go there… Jazz needs to cut-off Booz anyway.
Trade Booz add Korver for Haslem and Q.Rich… Q.Rich would be tagged as an “Interstate HOBO” hahahaha!!!! chouch!!!!
September 2nd, 2009 at 4:10 pm
dwight coward says:
An alltime funny NBA quote, from Derek Harper speaking to reporters when he vetoed being traded from Dallas to the Jazz: “I don’t want to go to Utah! YOU go to Utah!”
I wish that was on youtube. I remember cracking up when I saw the footage back in the day.
September 2nd, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Coop says:
What’s the deal with the Amaechi line, Slam?
September 2nd, 2009 at 5:11 pm
ProphetGk says:
Forget about “the booze”, the paper boy is ready 2 take over!!!
September 2nd, 2009 at 5:15 pm
sh!tfaced says:
“I bet he’d even coach John Amaechi again if need be.” LMFAO.
I don’t care if Dime does have gay readers, its still f**kin’ hilarious.
September 2nd, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Mellmeister says:
@11
That’s crazy… John Amaechi… hahaha!
Gay Readers? hahaha! who cares? they probably just buyin dime to wank off ballers… f*ckin messed up… hahahaha!
imagine if that dude plays ball with you… mayne you’d be f*cked up. hahahaha!
I’m Out like Amaechi outta the closet… hahahaha!
September 2nd, 2009 at 5:42 pm
UncheckedAggression says:
The Amaechi comment was out of line. It’s a reflection of how the author thinks rather than what Sloan would think.
September 2nd, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Big Island says:
If I remember correctly, Sloan was mad that Amaechi didn’t put basketball as #1, didn’t live or die with wins and losses. Amaechi just played because he got a ton of money and time to do the stuff he wanted to (insert joke here). Sloan even had things where the bench guys had to burn 1000 calories or something on the bike after practice and Amaechi would do it in like 20 minutes because he wanted to go home.
Can’t knock the Jazz, can’t knock Sloan, who is one of the best coaches ever, but trade Boozers ass.
September 2nd, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Quedas says:
I also don’t quite get how being gay is in any way a diss at the “Jazz Nation”. If it is, then fuck the “Jazz Nation”.
Also Mellmeister, you… I think… I… *shakes his head and walks away in disgust*
September 2nd, 2009 at 6:08 pm
NYCBalla says:
Them Amaechi line was funny and was anything but inappropriate. We don’t need to pull the gay card here. Amaechi was just a dude that played ball because he could, not because he wanted to. Thus, he had a lazy attitude towards the game which is unacceptable by may fans standards.
Sloan is dope. Props to Narciso.
September 2nd, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Brado says:
Boozer is like Amaechi – plays ball because he can, not because he loves the game. Money is #1 in his book, hence the wanting to be traded to Miami to avoid taxes. At least S-Jack wants to be traded to a contender!
September 2nd, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Gerald Narciso says:
My Amaechi line had nothing to do with him being homosexual. It was in reference to him having a terrible relationship with coach while he played for the jazz. I apologize if it sounded like I was implying otherwise that was not my intention
September 2nd, 2009 at 6:54 pm
Austin Burton says:
@Gerald — I think it’s more telling that you said something about Amaechi and people assumed if must have been a gay joke or something homophobic, as if being gay was the only defining thing about Amaechi.
September 2nd, 2009 at 7:43 pm
mtindore520 says:
YEAH…guys who think the Amaechi line was about his sexual orientation need to check themselves and also stop always trying to be politically correct…Amaechi was a baller with less heart 4 the game than Mark Blount, Etan Thomas, or Foyle, the latter two are nice guys and would rather be poets like John Amaechi…
September 2nd, 2009 at 8:40 pm
solomon (el latino machismo) says:
well, post#19, i think etan thomas and foyle actually plays with some heart – they’re just not that gifted with moves or much skills like your prototypical NBA center…
but still, gotta agree with AB… the amaechi line being more associated with sexual preferences rather than a underachieving nba player says a lot
September 2nd, 2009 at 10:20 pm
EN FUEGO says:
Wow. Prolly should just said “Greg Ostertag” rather than “John Amaechi”.
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:02 am
Da_Griff says:
What’s wrong with Mentioning John Amaechi. Everyone knows he and Sloan left on bad terms with Meech decided he was gonna persue a career in poetry over basketball and pretty much loafed his way through his contract.
Sloan doesn’t care if he’s gay. Sloan just wants him to put in some effort! That’s it.
Just cos John is gay, doesn’t mean that if someone disses his game he’s being homophobic. Dude had one good year. He was terrible the rest of the time.
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Al Dogg says:
How is that Amaechi line homophobic in any way? Amaechi wrote a book in which he slammed Jerry Sloan. His point was that Sloan doesn’t hold grudges and would even coach a guy who talked shit on him.
Are people really this stupid?
September 3rd, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Scott says:
It has been documented that Amaechi was treated differently in Utah because of his sexual orientation. When I read the line in the article it was the only connection I made.
I admit I was ignorant and had know clue about the Amaechi/Sloan relationship.
Gerald I’m sorry for calling you out.
September 4th, 2009 at 1:34 am
ScottIsGay says:
it’s ok, scott
your just looking out for your boyfriend, right?
September 4th, 2009 at 4:29 am
Ernesto says:
Fuck the ever-increasing PC America.
September 24th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Michorizo says:
Amaechi has Beef for Sloan?