Former Utah Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan publicly
revealed Wednesday he's suffering from Parkinson's disease and Lewy
body dementia after being diagnosed with both illnesses last fall.
Sloan, 74, felt the need to go public after his symptoms - which
include tremors, a hushed voice and sleeplessness - became noticeable
to other people.
"I don't want people feeling sorry for me," Sloan told the Salt Lake
Tribune.
Parkinson's disease is progressive disorder of the nervous system
that affects movement.
Although there is currently no cure for the disease, the symptoms can
improve with medication. However, in Sloan's case the symptoms
continue to progress.
Sloan told the newspaper he is also dealing with Lewy body dementia,
a neurological disorder that manifests itself in difficulty with
memory, problem solving, planning and analytical thinking.
A fiery, hard-nosed player with the Chicago Bulls from 1966-76, Sloan
became head coach at Utah from 1988-2011. He won 1,221 NBA games -
placing him third all-time - before abruptly retiring.
Sloan guided the Jazz to a pair of finals appearances in 1996-97 and
1997-98 - falling both times to Michael Jordans' Bulls.
In 2009, Sloan was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Los Angeles (AFP) - Former Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan is battling Parkinson's disease and dementia, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
The Hall of Fame coach disclosed the illnesses during an interview, published on Wednesday, at his home in Riverton, Utah, telling the Tribune he was diagnosed late last year.
Sloan said he decided to discuss the diagnosis publicly because his symptoms, which include tremors and a hushed voice -- have become noticeable to others.
"I don't want people feeling sorry for me," said Sloan, who told the newspaper he still walks four miles a day.
Parkinson's disease is progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement, with tremors a common symptom.
Sloan said he also has Lewy body dementia, a neurological disorder that affects memory and analytical thinking and is the second most common form of dementia behind Alzheimers.
Sloan, 74, coached the Jazz from 1988 to 2011. He was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009 and is the third-winningest head coach in NBA history.