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Nothing seems to rile ex-Bull Sloan

SALT LAKE CITY — The NBA world, if not the planet Earth in general, should institute a new measuring stick for staying on an even keel.

Call it the Jerry Sloan Scale of Consistent Personality.

The longtime Utah Jazz head coach and former Bulls star did his usual chat with reporters after the morning shootaround while leaning against a concrete pillar and garbage can. The shiny wooden podium sitting in front of the team backdrop was about 15 steps away, but went unused.

He’ll show intensity as a coach, but low-key continues to be Sloan’s preferred style of living. He grew up in rural Illinois and wasn’t changed by money, fame or bigger cities.

One question on Wednesday was whether Sloan wished the Bulls held a formal reunion for the early 1970s team he played on. They are celebrating the 1991 championship squad later this season.

“That’s just a date you’ve got to travel,” Sloan said. “I’m not worried about those sort of things. Never have. It never has been important to me. The only thing that was ever important to me, I thought my job was to play and go home. I never spent any time on the other stuff.”

The window for a solid 1975 reunion closed when Norm Van Lier passed away. When the Jazz plays in Chicago, Sloan usually gets visits from Bob Love and Tom Boerwinkle.

“We had a good bunch of guys I played with,” Sloan said. “I saw them periodically. I ran into a guy here and there. Everybody’s got their own wants and desires. Some people would rather be playing golf than do something like that. I’d rather be loafing around a farm instead of doing something like that. It’s not a big deal to me.”

Sloan brought some more wisdom when asked to reflect on being fired as Bulls coach in 1982.

“I don’t think anybody wants to get fired,” he said. “When things don’t go right, you’re held responsible for it. I had no problems. I walked away and was able to show my kids what it’s like to get fired. Hopefully it teaches them something. I went on with my life, went in a different direction and I got lucky and things worked out very well for me.

“My dad passed away early in my life. What was I going to do, sit around and feel sorry for myself? When you look at the big picture, the only person who cares is yourself. It’s not a huge thing.”

Sloan seemed to enjoy reminiscing about the highlight of his Bulls coaching tenure, beating the Knicks in a first-round playoff series in 1981. He talked about deciding to bench Larry Kenon and then flying to New York on the day of Game 1 because he thought the players would be better prepared.

Moving to current issues, Sloan was asked what he felt about the Bulls adding three of his former Utah players in a single summer — Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer.

“That’s like having a reaction when (John) Stockton and (Karl) Malone left,” Sloan said. “What are you going to do about it? Our job still remains the same. We try to coach whoever’s here.”

“I don’t cry around if I don’t get the guys I want or that sort of thing. This organization’s always tried to do things the right way. We don’t spend a lot of money in those situations, generally speaking. I’ve always known the parameters I work under. That’s not a problem with me at all.”

When Sloan ever has a problem with life throwing him a curveball, it should be front-page news.

Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan always shows intensity during the game, but he doesn’t let other things off the court ever bother him. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Associated Press