When Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan was playing in the NBA in what he calls "the olden days," the notion of a player missing a game because he was ill was inconceivable.

Two days after Manu Ginobili, Brent Barry and Matt Bonner missed the Spurs' game against Milwaukee, and with one of his key reserves back in Salt Lake City recovering from a bout with the same sort of stomach virus that has afflicted the Spurs of late, Sloan discussed his own playing days and today's NBA.

The difference: the amount of money teams have invested in today's players.

Utah's Matt Harpring remained in Salt Lake City, where the Jazz play Saturday night, ailing with the same sort of stomach virus that has beset the Spurs' locker room.

Back in his day, Sloan said, players rarely were advised against playing, no matter how sick they might be.

"Yeah, I've seen guys get sick," Sloan said, "but they played. I don't mean anything against anybody, but in the olden days, you didn't have doctors telling you you were going to die in a couple days."

Via San Antonio Express-News

Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs

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