Yes! It’s because Phil Jackson had the X-factor.
There have been many great NBA coaches. Pat Riley, who coached the Lakers, Knicks, and Heat, has five championship rings. Red Auerbach won nine NBA championships and eight consecutive titles with the Celtics. But neither may have been as great as Phil Jackson, who retired with eleven rings.
Red Auerbach of the Boston Celtics (photo, Famous People)
Jackson won six titles with the Bulls and five titles with the Lakers. Along the way, he coached three of the NBA’s all-time best players–Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant.
And if you’re like me–and I’ll bet some of you are–then over the years, you’ve had discussions with other fans about NBA G.O.A.T.’s.
While I’ve found relatively little disagreement on the player’s side (it’s Jordan), consensus hasn’t held up in the coaching discussion. Some say Auerbach, others say Riley, and Jackson certainly gets his share of nods.
One conversation was noteworthy. A friend said he couldn’t go with Jackson because he always coached teams with talented players. While true, my friend underestimates one aspect of Jackson’s greatness–his ability to manage personalities.
Coaches know–NBA coaches, especially–that one of the toughest jobs is handling your players, including keeping them out of trouble. Player management is the X-factor.
And nobody in NBA history was better than Jackson. Player management is one of the big reasons why Jackson won so many titles.
So in my book, Phil Jackson is the NBA G.O.A.T. coach.
Courtesy: ESPN.go.com
