Phil Jackson

Phil Jackson

Philip Douglas Jackson is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive. A power forward, Jackson played 12 seasons in the NBA, winning NBA championships with the New York Knicks in 1970 and 1973. 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. Jackson retired from coaching in 2011 and joined the Knicks as an executive in March 2014. He was dismissed as the Knicks’ team president on June 28, 2017.

About Phil Jackson in brief

Summary Phil JacksonPhilip Douglas Jackson is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive. A power forward, Jackson played 12 seasons in the NBA, winning NBA championships with the New York Knicks in 1970 and 1973. 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. Jackson retired from coaching in 2011 and joined the Knicks as an executive in March 2014. He was dismissed as the Knicks’ team president on June 28, 2017. In 2007, Jackson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. 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. 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 1996, as part of celebrations for the National Basketball Association’s 50th anniversary,. Jackson was named one of the 10 greatest coaches in league history. In the 1979–80 NBA season, Jackson and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Bob Dandridge shared the lead for the total number of fouls each season with 330 each. Jackson also holds the NBA record for the most combined championships, winning a total of 13 as a player and a coach. In 1974, Jackson coached the New Jersey Nets to two NBA titles, crossing the Hudson in 1978 to play two seasons for the Nets.

In 1999, he coached the Brooklyn Nets to three NBA titles. In 2002, he led the New England Nets to their first NBA title. In 2003, he won the NBA title with the Washington Bullets. In 2004, Jackson won the MVP award for the Washington Wizards. In 2005, he was named the NBA Coach of the Year by the Basketball Writers Association of America. In 2006, he received the Naismith Award for his contributions to the game of basketball. In 2008, Jackson received the NBA Hall of Famer award for his work as a coach and player. In 2009, he became the first African-American coach to win the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award. In 2010, he earned the NBA MVP Award for the New Orleans Superstars. In 2011, he helped the New Zealand Misfits win their second NBA title in a row. In 2012, Jackson helped the Misfit Award team win its second title in three years. In 2013, he also helped the Philadelphia 76ers win their third title in four seasons. In 2014, Jackson led the Makers to their fourth NBA championship. In 2015, he guided the Knicks to their fifth NBA title, winning the title in the process. In 2016, he took the NBA Finals MVP award. He has been inducted to the Basketball Halls of Fame in a ceremony held in New York City. In his native North Dakota, Jackson is a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He attended the University of North Dakota and played for the Fighting Sioux.