SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 Sports) – Hall of Fame former Utah Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan has revealed that he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia at the age of 74.
The 74-year-old Sloan has suffered noticeable tremors and decided to make his diagnosis public. He told the Salt Lake Tribune that he continues to walk four miles and day, and he doesn’t want anyone to feel sorry for him.
The Utah Jazz released a statement saying, “Jerry Sloan is and always will be a beloved member of the Utah Jazz family, and we know he will approach this fight with the same grit and determination he displayed as a Hall of Fame coach and All-Star player in the NBA for 40-plus years. On behalf of the Miller family, the Jazz organization and Jazz fans everywhere, we send Jerry and his wife Tammy our love, support and best wishes.”
Parkinson’s disease is progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement. Although there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, medications may markedly improve symptoms.
Lewy body dementia, the second most common type of progressive dementia after Alzheimer’s disease, causes a progressive decline in mental abilities.
Sloan won 1,223 games with the Utah Jazz from 1998-2011, and led the team to two NBA Finals.
The third winningest coach in NBA history was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.
Sloan retired from coaching midway through the 2010-2011 season.
