Jerry Sloan Wants NBA Coaching Job, Eyes Bobcats & Magic

Jerry Sloan, the former Utah Jazz coach who resigned during the 2011 season after 23 seasons with the team, wants another shot. He is ready to return to the NBA and has expressed interest in the open Charlotte Bobcats and Orlando Magic coaching positions.

Would he be a good fit for either of those teams? Should he make a comeback and ruin his legacy?

If he gets the Charlotte Bobcats job, does he call John Stockton to see if he would come out of retirement? I'm only half joking...have you taken a look at their roster lately?

The former Utah Jazz coach, who resigned during the 2011 season after 23 seasons with the team, told the Salt Lake Tribune on Tuesday that he has talked to Bobcats owner Michael Jordan about his team's vacancy and could meet with him as soon as this week. Sloan isn't afraid of the Bobcats past history of losing. He told the Tribune, "Obviously, you probably wouldn't win (a title) right off the bat."

As far as the Magic job is considered, he just mentioned that the job would be intriguing. Orlando recently fired Stan Van Gundy and GM Otis Smith, so Sloan would more personnel control than in Charlotte. Orlando still has hopes of retaining Dwight Howard after the upcoming season. Howard could be the guy who has the final decision on who is hired as Orlando's next head coach.

I would assume that Van Gundy would be another candidate that Charlotte would be interested in interviewing. He is a talented coach, but he needed a change of scenery. The Bobcats would have to pick between head coaches who have both made NBA Finals appearances, but yet to win a title.

Sloan retired during the 2011-12 season and used "exhaustion" as the reason for his resignation. The Jazz traded Deron Williams at the trading deadline and Sloan still stepped down. It was no secret that Deron Williams and Sloan butted heads on and off the court. Tyrone Corbin took over as head coach and remains at the position.

Sloan ranks third all-time in regular-season NBA coaching victories with 1,221. Former coaches Lenny Wilkins (1,332) and Don Nelson (1.335) are the only two to have more regular-season victories than Sloan.

Van Gundy v. Howard - What To Do?

Dwight Howard isn't making things easy for the Orlando Magic. He has been denying rumors about him wanting Stan Van Gundy fired. The story really started to pick up steam a few weeks ago when a story came out that if he were to re-sign, the team would give him the ability to fire the general manager and head coach. He has been denying everything negative and has kept a pretty squeaky clean image throughout this whole ordeal. Van Gundy just made the Orlando Magic situation a little more awkward.

During an interview this morning, Van Gundy was quite candid about his position with the Orlando Magic. He said that until he is told otherwise, he is the coach of the Orlando Magic. He said that "if I am fired later today, I'll still have a good day. I'll go home and find something else to do."

He kept answering questions and his responses really started to cut with a knife. He made a vague comment about "one of the people here doesn't like his boss" and that he has been told by management that Howard wants him to be fired. He ended the press conference that he isn't worried about any of that right now and that he's just worried about stopping Carmelo Anthony tonight...this is where things got even more awkward. Howard saw an opportunity to do a little "PR photo op" in front of the press, but he didn't know that Van Gundy just told them that he wants the head coach fired. He started to hug Van Gundy and said that we have to win tonight and we don't have anything to worry about. As Van Gundy exited, the press corps started to tell Howard what was just said. He looked like he just got his hand caught in the cookie jar. He denied everything said that he has not been told anything. I have never witnessed him look so uncomfortable, he was clearly not telling the truth.

It is odd how Howard managed to keep such a positive image over the last year. He has been stringing the fanbase along and being very passive about what he's going to do. He has denied that he has every been shown a contract to sign, has been negative when asked if he's taking a Shaq-like career path, and at times, he has been visually upset on the sideline. He brushes off any negative questions with an aura of ignorance and a smile. He has a very good PR person, they deserve a raise.

What should the Orlando Magic do? I think they have to give Dwight Howard what he wants. Van Gundy is a great coach and if he's fired, he'll get a job coaching next season. Otis Smith has been a sub-par General Manager and he should be evaluated...even if Howard signs with another team. Howard brings in millions of dollars in ticket and merchandise sales. You can replace these guys and you will not be able to go out and replace the face of your franchise and one of the best 10 players in the NBA. I don't agree that it is a morally correct decision, but this is the business of the NBA.

I am guessing that Stan Van Gundy's height will not be a determining factor in keeping his job, but Howard clearly has the height advantage. There needs to be a height requirement if you're an NBA head coach. You need to at least come up to your center's armpits. I love Van Gundy, but can you blame Howard for not respecting this guy?


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Lebron James Is Gollum

After the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Los Angeles Lakers by 50+, Lebron James decided to turn to his Twitter account to vent his anger. He tweeted that Karma's a bitch. I know things didn't end well with James and his old team, but to go the "drunk tweet"-like route, was a bit uncalled for. I am now convinced that Lebron James is turning into Gollum, from "Lord Of The Rings." King James is even losing his hair...yep, I went there. What else can James do to complete his transoformation?

I guess before I go neck-deep in nerdy "Lord Of The Rings" talk, let me explain Gollum. He's was a character first introduced in "The Hobbit" as "Smeagol." He was later referred to as "Gollum," because of a throat sound he made. He has a split-personality, so when he's "Smeagol," he thinks of good things and has good intentions, but when he's "Gollum," all he wants is the ring. Does this sound familiar to anyone?


When Lebron James was "Smeagol," he was fun-loving, pretended to take pictures with his teammates before games, and was loved by all. His greed and lust for a ring has turned him into "Gollum." He wants nothing to do with his fun-loving past and all he is focused on is his lust for a ring. I am guessing that he hates short guys with big feet, or Stan Van Gundy, who could possibly get in his way of winning a championship.

As you can tell, Gollum is lacking a lot of hair. We know that Lebron James took his talents to South Beach, but he left his hairline in Cleveland. I give it three years and he will look more like the "Lord Of The Rings" character...and he may still not have a ring.

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