<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Gordie Chiesa was not offered his latest coaching job - the one he hopes leads in short time to the wheel and throttle of an NBA club - in some splashy and swank uptown restaurant. There would be no symmetry in that. New Jersey executive Rod Thorn officially asked Chiesa to become Nets coach Lawrence Frank's No. 1 assistant while at "The Original Pancake House" in Chicago. Between bites of a stack of hotcakes and a ham-and-eggs breakfast combo meal. Perfect. "It was symbolic of my whole career," the former longtime Jazz assistant says. "Classic." Just as classic was Chiesa's response: "Uh, Rod, I want the job, but you better let me get back to you. I've got to go check with my wife." The next day, the folksy coach called Thorn from a pay phone at the Sportsmall in Murray, after his morning workout, having gotten clearance from the Big 3 - Kevin O'Connor, Jerry Sloan, and Nancy Chiesa. "It was emotional when I told Jerry I was leaving," says Chiesa, who worked for 16 seasons under Sloan. "Jerry said, 'You deserve this. You've given us your all. You'll be remembered forever as a part of Jazz basketball.' He was emotional, and I had a tear in my eye, too." </div> <div align="center">Source </div>
