Dr. Lyle Mason was the Jazz team physician for 36 years, encompassing the Stockton-Malone era and the Williams-Kirlenko era and beyond. In a recent interview with Salt City Hoops, Mason gets into what led to the break-up between Deron Williams and the Jerry Sloan, leading to Sloan's mid-season retirement.
In Mason's opinion, it was simple. Unlike John Stockton, Deron Williams didn't think he needed to be coached. Not only that, says Mason, he would willfully go against Sloan's game plans. Mason also talks about Andrei Kirilenko who he believed has the skills but never the mental make-up to be great at the game.