How does one go about becoming known as perhaps the greatest coach in NBA history?
Many have aspired to this, but unfortunately there is no book on how to do it. Perhaps Phil Jackson should write one, because it would be impossible to script such a thing any better than what his experience has been.
First you inherit a vastly improving team that has just reached the conference finals. On it you have a young player who is tearing up the league and set to enter his prime years who goes by the name of Michael Jordan.
You also have a dynamo named Scottie Pippin who is about to stake his claim as the most versatile player in the game and one of the fifty greatest of all-time.
You then add to the potpourri a coach already in the team’s employ named Tex Winter, who happens to be the architect of a little known offensive system called "the Triangle".
When speaking to reporters about your players, you use words like “angularity” and “personal actions”. You continually wax philosophical and hand out books about Gandhi and Zen Oneness for your players to read.
After winning six championships with the best duo in the league’s history, an offensive scheme created by an inherited assistant and a whole lot of capable role players, you take a year off.
You decide to return to the league with a team which had finished the previous season with a .620 winning percentage. On it happens to be a player who is as close to unstoppable as anyone who has ever played the game. His name is Shaquille O’Neil. Then add a budding superstar named Kobe Bryant to the mix. Oh yeah, and call your old pal Tex Winter to sit beside you on your fold-up throne.
You snag a few more rings, and after two consecutive years of failing to win another you get run out of town by the team’s superstar.
A year later you’re called back into service with the same team that had hurled you into the alley just 362 days prior. After two seasons of playing barely above .500 your team is in disarray with your superstar player going viral on YouTube where he can be found screaming and pleading to be saved from drowning in the Lake(ers).
Just over halfway through the next season your team is in fifth-place in the conference. You wake up one morning and find Pau Gasol stuffed into your resident Goodwill box and realize that whoever donated him has also hauled away and assumed the nine-million dollar lease on your trash can. You know, the one with the words Kwame Brown stenciled on it.
You go 28-9 the rest of the way, finish with the best record in the conference and once again find yourself in the NBA finals.
So there you have it. Sort of an “Idiot’s Guide to Becoming Known as the Greatest Coach in NBA History” outline.
6 comments Last one added 7 months ago — Leave a Comment
Gaz V 7 months ago
Phil Jackson, as I've noted on B/R before, is quite simply the Robert "Right Place, Right Time" Horry of coaching. If ring count is how we measure greatness, then Robert Horry is the without question the best NBA player of the past 30 years.
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Alan Thomson 7 months ago
I think you summed up my article in two sentences. I couldn't agree more. You know a lot about the game. have you played and/or coached?
Thanks for the comment.
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Robert MacDonald 7 months ago
Although I'm no Phil Jackson fan, I will speak in his defense. I've never coached an NBA franchise, but the way he's maintained some of the games largest egos, he should get some extra brownie points. Doug Collins was never that impressive as a Bulls coach, but MJ, Pippen, and Grant matured. Later on Dennis Rodman comes to town and joins the party. Some of the games most known players during their era.
With the Lakers Phil coached two of the games all-time greats. Two of the games all-time egos. It later comes out that Phil might have been responsible for the breakup, now Shaq says he'd consider rejoining the Lakers in 2010, so who knows really.
Robert Horry has definately been a right place, right time player, if there could ever be one. I just don't know that it's fair to classify Jackson as such, when he's the person who has to put people in the "right place at the right time". To figure Jackson was the Robert Horry of coaching, it would almost seem as though you were saying anyone could have gotten 9 championships with his teams.
He may not be due all the credit he's received, but he surely must be due some.
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Shashwat Baxi 7 months ago
I would have to agree with Robert on this one. I am a huge fan of Shaq Diesel and was pumped to see Phil bring "The Big Daddy" his first 3 rings. Without a doubt, Phil had some of the best players to every play the game. However, he did control their egos and work out the situation in the lockerroom to be able to bring the Bulls 6-Ring dynasty and the Lakers the 3-peat. I don't think just anyone would have been able to do it. Granted, I give all of the credit to His Airness, Kobe, Pippen, and The Diesel; but Phil has to get some credit and he is def. not the most over-rated coach of all time.
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Prasaad Ayyanar 7 months ago
I think you shouldnot compare rings..whether or not you compare rings phil is still the greatest to coach the game.
1.72-10 record
2.193 playoff victories
3.Never missed playoffs
4.ofcourse 9 rings
And by the way..Robert horry??? he is by far the best 3 point clutch shooter thats it..not more than that..he never played for a single team,never really had his own town,own fans,,nothing! but yeah he has 6 rings...wow..isnt great?..
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Hoops4life 7 months ago
This is absurd. Phil Jackson is one of the best coaches of all-time with out a doubt. You say 'right-place, right-time' because he's been blessed to have great players on his team, but no other coach in history plays the mind games so well. No other coach in history can keep so many ego's together and motivate players. He's been part of three three-peats- nobody else would have been able to motivate players that much.
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