Vince Carter
American basketball player
Phil Jackson is a legendary basketball player, coach, and executive who has won a record 11 NBA championships. He is known for his innovative coaching style, incorporating Eastern philosophy and the ‘triangle offense’, and is widely considered one of the greatest coaches of all time.
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About the Phil Jackson
Philip Douglas Jacksonis an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive. A power forward, Jackson played 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning championships with the New York Knicks in 1970 and 1973. Regarded as one of the greatest coaches of all time, Jackson was the head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 to 1998, leading them to six NBA championships. He then coached the Los Angeles Lakers from 1999 to 2004 and again from 2005 to 2011; the team won five league titles under his leadership. Jackson’s 11 NBA titles as a coach surpassed the previous record of nine set by Red Auerbach. He holds numerous other records as a coach, such as most postseason wins (229), and most NBA Conference titles (13).
Jackson is known for his use of Tex Winter’s triangle offense as well as a holistic approach to coaching that was influenced by Eastern philosophy, garnering him the nickname “Zen Master”. Jackson cited Robert Pirsig’s book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance as one of the major guiding forces in his life. He also applied Native American spiritual practices as documented in his book Sacred Hoops. He is the author of several candid books about his teams and his basketball strategies. In 2007, Jackson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. In 1996, as part of celebrations for the NBA’s 50th anniversary, Jackson was named one of the 10 greatest coaches in league history.
Jackson retired from coaching in 2011 and joined the Knicks as an executive in March 2014. He was dismissed as the Knicks’ team president in 2017.
Frequently Asked Questions
Phil Jackson has won a record 11 NBA championships as a head coach, surpassing the previous record of 9 set by Red Auerbach.
Phil Jackson was known for his use of the ‘triangle offense’ as well as incorporating Eastern philosophy and spiritual practices into his coaching approach, earning him the nickname ‘Zen Master’.
Phil Jackson was the head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 to 1998, leading the team to 6 NBA championships during that time.
In addition to his 11 NBA titles, Phil Jackson holds records for most postseason wins (229) and most NBA Conference titles (13) as a head coach.
Phil Jackson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007 in recognition of his legendary coaching career.
After retiring from coaching, Phil Jackson joined the New York Knicks as an executive in 2014, but was later dismissed from the team’s president position in 2017.
As a player, Phil Jackson won two NBA championships with the New York Knicks in 1970 and 1973.
6 Quotes by Phil Jackson
- 1.
I gave it my body and mind, but I have kept my soul.
Phil JacksonAmerican basketball player, coach and executive
- 2.
If you meet the Buddha in the lane, feed him the ball.
Phil JacksonAmerican basketball player, coach and executive
- 3.
Love is the force that ignites the spirit and binds teams together.
Phil JacksonAmerican basketball player, coach and executive
- 4.
Wisdom is always an overmatch for strength.
Phil JacksonAmerican basketball player, coach and executive
- 5.
Always keep an open mind and a compassionate heart.
Phil JacksonAmerican basketball player, coach and executive
- 6.
Approach the game with no preset agendas and you’ll probably come away surprised at your overall efforts.
Phil JacksonAmerican basketball player, coach and executive