In honor of legendary head coach Jerry Sloan, Utah Jazz players will have a “1223” patch stitched onto their jerseys for the 2019-20 NBA season restart in Orlando.
Sloan passed away at the age of 78 on May 22 due to complications from Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia. For what it's worth, “1223” refers to the number of wins (regular season and the playoffs) Sloan had in his 23-year coaching career with the Jazz from 1988 to 2011. This includes 19 postseason appearances and two trips to the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998.
Jerry Sloan was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach in 2009 — a batch that is headlined by Michael Jordan, John Stockton, and David Robinson.
Apart from the “1223” patch, Jazz players will also wear a special black strip on their jerseys. Moving forward, the organization will continue to honor the legendary head coach.
Jazz big man Rudy Gobert shared that even though he was retired, Sloan remained close to the organization.
“Always loved our conversations, I could feel that he had that competitiveness and love for the game. I remember him sitting there and watching pretty much every practice years after he was retired. I also know that he really respected hard work, more than anything, and I could sense that he really respected and loved players that have that mindset since the first day I spoke with him,” Gobert said, per Eric Woodyard of ESPN.
Fans will also get their chance to honor the late legend. For the 2020-21 season, the Jazz will sell fastenable “1223” patches through its store for $12.23 apiece.