Who would you vote for as the biggest clutch performer of the NBA Finals this year? Kobe Bryant? Dwight Howard? How about trying Phil Jackson?
When you think of Phil Jackson, you think of winning. Jackson is the only coach in NBA history to win more than 1,000 games. He won two NBA Championships in 1970 and 1973 as a player for the New York Knicks. He was also the head coach of the Chicago Bulls when they won six NBA Championships in a span of eight years in the 1990’s. After a short-lived retirement, Jackson returned to coach the Los Angeles Lakers and led them to three consecutive NBA titles between 2000 and 2002.
He’s tied with Boston Celtics legend Red Auerbach with 9 NBA coaching titles and will hold the all-time record with 10 if the Lakers defeat the Orlando Magic in this year’s finals. If you think about it, that’s really an incredible feat given that only three other coaches in NBA history have won more than two titles.
Sure, you might say it’s easy to win when you’ve coached the likes of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Shaquille O’Neal, Dennis Rodman and Kobe Bryant, but it takes a special talent to get a group of superstars to play as one. Jackson commands respect from his players and gets them to play at their full potential. My favorite quote by Jackson….“Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the Me for the We.”
Jackson is a complex individual and very much a thinker. He’s known for his use of Tex Winter’s triangle offense as well as a holistic approach to coaching that is influenced by Eastern philosophy, earning him the nickname “Zen Master”. (Jackson cites Robert Pirsig’s book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance as one of the major guiding forces in his life.) He also applies Native American spiritual practices as documented in his book “Sacred Hoops”. So while Jackson may be a bit different than most other coaches, whatever he’s doing works.
Jackson was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2007 and, as part of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary in 1999, was named one of the 10 greatest coaches in league history. The others on the list were Red Aurbach, Chuck Daly, Bill Fitch, Red Holzman, Pat Riley, Don Nelson, John Kundla, Jack Ramsay and Lenny Wilkins.
For most coaches, one NBA title would mark a successful career. Said Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy, “”We’re not going to win the coaching matchup. Phil has won more playoff series than I’ve won playoff games. You’ve got to be yourself. I couldn’t be Phil even if I wanted to.” No one can be Phil Jackson. That’s why I believe he’ll go down as the greatest coach in NBA history.
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