Passion, consistency lead Sloan to Hall

In most NBA quarters, there is unprecedented excitement for this year's group of Hall of Fame inductees. Just don't ask Jerry Sloan to get all het up for the occasion, even though the longtime Jazz coach is part of the incoming class. Truth is, he's never been to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., and he probably wouldn't be going this week unless he'd been talked into it. "There was some hesitation," Sloan said. "I never saw myself that way. ... But I talked to my kids and my family and that's what changed my mind." This is, of course, typical of Sloan, who usually presents his basketball achievements—which include a coaching record of 1,137-751 and 15 consecutive playoff appearances—as some kind of goofy oversight. Don't be fooled, though. Sloan has, for two decades now, earned the respect of players for his consistency and his straightforward approach. That's his identit...