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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan is paying tribute to former Chicago Bulls teammate Norm Van Lier.
Van Lier was found dead in his Chicago home on Thursday.
In a statement released by the Jazz, Sloan calls Van Lier a fierce competitor.
"Norm Van Lier was a great teammate and a close friend. He was a terrific competitor and was very difficult to play against, said Sloan. We always had a strong bond, to the point he babysat my kids on a number of occasions when we were playing together. Even though we didn't get to see each as other as often as we would have liked in recent years, there was always a great friendship there. My deepest sympathies go out to his family."
Sloan also remembers Johnny "Red" Kerr, the former NBA player, coach and longtime Bulls' broadcaster who died Thursday.
"Johnny Kerr was a teammate and coach of mine. He was the man responsible for me being in Chicago, and once there, he was the guy who gave me the confidence to play in the league, said Sloan. I had the good fortune of speaking with him just a couple weeks ago and I'm glad we were able to have that time. He was a tremendous person and will certainly be missed. My condolences go out to his family."
Sloan and Kerr were teammates for one season and Kerr was later his coach with the Bulls.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
