Jazz to honor late Jerry Sloan with patch on jerseys

The Utah Jazz will honor late Hall of Fame head coach Jerry Sloan by wearing tribute patches on their jerseys for the remainder of the season, the team announced Tuesday.

The patch will feature the number 1,223, which represents the wins Sloan earned during his 23 years manning the sidelines for the organization from 1988-2011.

"Coach Jerry Sloan will forever be in the hearts of the Utah Jazz organization and fans everywhere, and we feel it is only fitting to honor him in this way," Greg Miller, director of the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies, said in a statement. "His contributions to our Jazz family and communities are a defining part of our franchise history and we look forward to seeing 1,223 on the jerseys of our players in Orlando as a nod to his legacy."

Beginning next season, Jazz jerseys will display a black strip with the same number. Further tributes will be announced at a later date.

Sloan, who retired as the third-winningest head coach in NBA history, died in May at age 78 due to complications from Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia.