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CHARLOTTE, NC - FEBRUARY 14:  Head coach Phil Jackson talks to Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers during their game against the Charlotte Bobcats at Time Warner Cable Arena on February 14, 2011 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expre
CHARLOTTE, NC - FEBRUARY 14: Head coach Phil Jackson talks to Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers during their game against the Charlotte Bobcats at Time Warner Cable Arena on February 14, 2011 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expreStreeter Lecka/Getty Images

Top 10 Phil Jackson Sound Bites from the First Half of the 2010-11 NBA Season

Tyler RobinsonJun 7, 2018

He's coached MJ, Scottie, Shaq and Kobe. The Zen Master has a championship ring for all his fingers and even his two thumbs. Phil Jackson has seen it all.

It's been an interesting year in Laker Land to say the least, and Phil Jackson has made some interesting comments throughout the season.

Here are the top 10 quotes that the Lakers head coach has given the media this season.

Phil Doesn't See Miami In The Finals

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BOSTON - FEBRUARY 13:  LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat drives  against Kevin Garnett #5 of the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on February 13, 2011 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or us
BOSTON - FEBRUARY 13: LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat drives against Kevin Garnett #5 of the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on February 13, 2011 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or us

Jackson's thoughts on if he thinks the Lakers will play the Heat in the Finals.

"I personally don't think they can get by Boston," Jackson said. "I think Boston is too good a team. I think a team is still going to win. ... Boston is older and they have to go through the rest of the schedule without having some kind of breakdown of players. Ray Allen and Kendrick Perkins, etc., they are just really a good team. But there's nothing like the great athletic skill and dynamism that [LeBron James and Dwyane Wade] have and [Chris] Bosh is a terrific player in his own right. There's no doubt about their individual skills." 

Read more: http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/261912-jackson-picks-celtics-over-heat-in-east#ixzz1EdANRvKj

Phil Jackson Would Like To Spend The Holidays at Home

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PHOENIX, AZ - JANUARY 05:  Head coach Phil Jackson of the Los Angeles Lakers during the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center on January 5, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Lakers defeated the Suns 99-95.  NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknow
PHOENIX, AZ - JANUARY 05: Head coach Phil Jackson of the Los Angeles Lakers during the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center on January 5, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Lakers defeated the Suns 99-95. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknow

"I don't think anybody should play on Christmas Day," Jackson said. "Soccer teams don't play this time of year, they take a break. I don't understand it. "When I was in the CBA, we had a commissioner who had a Christmas Eve game. I had to call him up and say that's the holy time. ... You just have to keep reminding them that this is a special day." 

Phil's Thoughts On Andrew Bynum's Injury

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DENVER, CO - JANUARY 21:  Andrew Bynum #17 of the Los Angeles Lakers takes a shot against Nene #31 of the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center on January 21, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading
DENVER, CO - JANUARY 21: Andrew Bynum #17 of the Los Angeles Lakers takes a shot against Nene #31 of the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center on January 21, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading

The Zen Master hasn't been pleased with the time Andrew Bynum has taken to recover from knee surgery. Jackson voiced his displeasure right before the center was set to return.

"This is something that's supposed to take place after the season and he's supposed to be ready by the season and we built our team around that fact," Jackson said. "It wasn't by the end of exhibition season. It was like he would be able to start and go through preseason and go on with us. Well, everything got delayed. His operation wasn't done on time. Andrew was late to his operation. There was a whole myriad of things that have gone on in this thing.

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Jackson On Embarrassing Loss to Cavs

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MIAMI, FL - JANUARY 31:  Anthony Parker #18 of the Cleveland Cavaliers brings the ball up the floor during a game against the Miami Heat  at American Airlines Arena on January 31, 2011 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agree
MIAMI, FL - JANUARY 31: Anthony Parker #18 of the Cleveland Cavaliers brings the ball up the floor during a game against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena on January 31, 2011 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agree

The Lakers had blown out the Cavs by 55 points earlier in the season....... They lost to the Cavs just before All Star weekend got under way.

Jackson didn't have a lot to say after the Lake show lost to the lowly Cavs.

“I think they took their All-Star break before the game,” Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson said. “They left before this game started.” 

Phil On Confrontation With Ron Artest

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CHARLOTTE, NC - FEBRUARY 14:  Ron Artest #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to a call against the Charlotte Bobcats during their game at Time Warner Cable Arena on February 14, 2011 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges
CHARLOTTE, NC - FEBRUARY 14: Ron Artest #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to a call against the Charlotte Bobcats during their game at Time Warner Cable Arena on February 14, 2011 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges

The Lakers had lost four of six games by an average of 17.3 points per game in early January. 

Following the week of losing it was reported that Artest and Jackson had a loud confrontation at practice. Here's what Jackson had to say about the report. 

"That's not accurate, but it's close to accurate," Jackson said. "It was not a loud confrontation; it was a man-to-man confrontation. And it was obviously out of character for both that to happen at practice and for Ron. And it wasn't about embarrassing him publicly; it was about some of the issues that had been brought up that have focused about him." 

Phil On The Lakers Four Game Losing Steak

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CHARLOTTE, NC - FEBRUARY 14:  Head coach Phil Jackson of the Los Angeles Lakers against the Charlotte Bobcats during their game at Time Warner Cable Arena on February 14, 2011 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agr
CHARLOTTE, NC - FEBRUARY 14: Head coach Phil Jackson of the Los Angeles Lakers against the Charlotte Bobcats during their game at Time Warner Cable Arena on February 14, 2011 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agr

The Lakers had just lost four games in a row for the first time since 2007. Here are Phil's thoughts after a loss to the Houston Rockets

"It's pretty easy to throw the ball [to] Kobe sometimes and just go and stand in the corner and suck our thumb, but you can't do that all the time," Jackson said. 

Melo In LA?

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LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 20:  Carmelo Anthony #15 of the Denver Nuggets and the Western Conference looks on after the Western Conference 148-143 victory in the 2011 NBA All-Star Game at Staples Center on February 20, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. NOT
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 20: Carmelo Anthony #15 of the Denver Nuggets and the Western Conference looks on after the Western Conference 148-143 victory in the 2011 NBA All-Star Game at Staples Center on February 20, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. NOT

Is Melo coming to Los Angeles? Phil Jackson doesn't think so.

"I haven't even entertained it,” Jackson said of trading for Anthony. “My first thought is why are these [media] people interrupting my life with these kind of rumors.” 

Jackson Blames Kobe For Loss to Grizzlies

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Kobe screwed the game up
Kobe screwed the game up

The Lakers had just lost to the Grizzlies, and the Zen Master thought that it was Kobe's fault.

Skip to 2:24 in the video to hear Phil say "Kobe has to screw up the game."

The Zen Master Thinks The Heat Will Want Riley to Coach

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OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - JANUARY 30:  Forward LeBron James #6 talks with Dwyane Wade #3 and Chris Bosh #1 of the Miami Heat during play against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Ford Center on January 30, 2011 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  NOTE TO USER: User express
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - JANUARY 30: Forward LeBron James #6 talks with Dwyane Wade #3 and Chris Bosh #1 of the Miami Heat during play against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Ford Center on January 30, 2011 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User express

The Heat got off to a slow start this year and Phil Jackson thought he'd add some fuel to the media fire when he suggested that the Big Three would want Riley to coach instead of Erik Spoelstra.

"The scenario that sits kind of behind the scene, is that eventually these guys that were recruited -- Bosh and James -- by Pat Riley and Micky Arison, the owner, are going to come in and say, 'We feel you [Riley] can do a better job coaching the team. We came here on the hopes that this would work,' and whatever, I don't know," Jackson said. "That's kind of my take on it, is that eventually if things don't straighten out here soon, it could be the Van Gundy thing all over again."

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