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Before Michael Jordan, before the championships, before the global phenomenon — there was Jerry Sloan. The toughest, most relentless player in Bulls history wore #4 for ten seasons and built the defensive identity that would one day win six titles.
Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
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The Original Bull
Baltimore Bullets
1965-1966
Chicago Bulls
1966-1976
2x All-Star & 6x All-Defensive selection
Made two All-Star teams and earned six All-Defensive honors — four First Team, two Second Team — as the defensive heart of the early Bulls.
First jersey retired by Chicago
The Bulls retired his No. 4 in 1978, the first number the franchise ever lifted to the rafters.
Hall of Fame as a coach (2009)
Enshrined in 2009, recognized above all for his long, distinguished tenure leading the Utah Jazz.
1974-75
| Season | GP | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-75 | 78 | 12.2 | 6.3 | 3.1 | 46.1% | 0.0% |
| 1971-72 | 80 | 14.7 | 7.7 | 3.2 | 44.6% | 0.0% |
| 1968-69 | 78 | 14.2 | 7.4 | 2.8 | 43.2% | 0.0% |
Before he became a Hall of Fame coach, Jerry Sloan was "the Original Bull" — the tough, floor-burning wing Chicago built its early identity around. He made two All-Star teams and hounded opponents well enough to earn six All-Defensive selections, four of them on the First Team, the kind of nightly resistance box scores never fully captured. His No. 4 became the first jersey the Bulls ever retired. Sloan's playing days ended early because of knee injuries in 1976, but the same grit carried into a coaching life that made him far more famous — most enduringly as the long-serving architect of the Utah Jazz. He entered the Hall of Fame as a coach in 2009. Sloan died in 2020 at 78 after battling Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia.
Personal Life & Family
Partner
Tammy Jessop (second wife; first wife Bobbye passed away from ovarian cancer in 2004)
Children (3)
Parents & Siblings
Off the Court
Jerry Sloan Foundation (children's health and education)
Did You Know?
Grew up on a farm in rural Illinois as one of 11 children, milking cows and hauling hay before becoming an NBA star.
Was selected by Baltimore in 1965 but was traded to Chicago before playing a game — he became the original Bull.
Phil Jackson credited Sloan's defensive philosophy as an influence on the Bulls' championship culture of the 1990s.
As Utah Jazz coach, his teams never missed the playoffs in 15 consecutive seasons (1988-2003).
Coached Karl Malone and John Stockton for 18 years together — the longest player-coach partnership in NBA history.
Resigned from the Jazz in 2011 after a reported clash with Deron Williams — one of the most shocking departures in NBA history.
Passed away May 22, 2020, from complications of Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia.
Career Honors
5x NBA All-Defensive First Team (1969, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976)
2x NBA All-Defensive Second Team
NBA All-Star (1967)
1,221 career coaching wins (7th all-time at retirement)
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame — Player (2009)
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame — Coach (inducted 2023 posthumously as part of Jazz legacy recognition)
#4 retired by Chicago Bulls
#1223 honorary retired by Utah Jazz (wins)
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Jerry Sloan coached the Jazz for 23 seasons, won 1,127 games with one franchise, and built the Stockton-Malone dynasty. Here is why #1223 belongs in the rafters.
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