Some Sloan, Okur and a press picnic

Local media had a chance to chat with Jazz coach Jerry Sloan today, and it was a very interesting interview. He absolutely abhors talking about himself, but we managed to make him do that for about a half-hour or so. I’ll be writing more – much more – about Sloan next week in advance of his induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday, Sept. 11. A player he basically called “perfect” – one John Stockton – will be enshrined next week along with Michael Jordan, David Robinson and coach C. Vivian Stringer in one of the best classes ever.

A few things of note from the interview at the Jazz’s practice facility:

- Sloan said he is “excited” about the upcoming season, and is optimistic about Utah’s chances if the players are healthy.

- Sloan didn’t want to chat much about the Carlos Boozer situation, only saying that his job is to coach the players who are there. He also pointed out that in order to have success in the NBA you have to have good players and he called Boozer a good player.

- Sloan did say he wouldn’t hold a grudge against Boozer for spouting off this summer about wanting to be traded. After all, Sloan said, he could have been ticked off at Karl Malone a few times, too, for going off on contract situations and the such over the years, but he didn’t cry over spilled milk.

- Sloan joked about how farming helped his surgically repaired knee improve over the summer, and said that he is feeling pretty good right now health-wise.

- Mehmet Okur walked across the opposite side of the court from the press huddled around Sloan, and went to the exercise room to work out for a while. That should encourage Jazz fans that the big Turk, who signed a two-year extension to remain in Utah through the 2011-12 season, is already in the United States and going at it.

- After his workout, Okur walked back to the locker room and greeted a few reporters who were lingering and shooting the bull. Okur looked over at us and joked, “Why don’t you have a picnic.”

Coincidentally, I’m now craving a donerkabob.