Phil Jackson Teams Coached | Biography, Titles, Teams, & Facts

– Phil Jackson Teams Coached –

Coaches come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and personalities. Some are former players, while others lacked the talent to play professionally but were so passionate about the sport that they worked their way up the ranks from high school to college to the NBA. We shall share insight into Phil Jackson’s Career, Phil Jackson team coached, as well as facts about him as a great personality in the NBA.

Phil Jackson Teams Coached

Phil Jackson is one of the most successful NBA coaches in history.

While he was a member of the New York Knicks as a kid, they know him for guiding two championship teams in the last several decades.

It’s easy to overlook coaches like Phil Jackson when his teams have so much star power.

The teams he coached would not have been nearly as successful if he hadn’t been there.

Here’s all you need to know about Phil Jackson, his career, and rings, including how he got them.

Phil Jackson Early Years

Phil Jackson Early Years

Jackson was born on September 17, 1945, in Deer Lodge, Montana.

Jackson’s parents, Charles and Elisabeth Jackson were both ministers in the Assemblies of God.

His father preached on Sunday mornings and his mother on Sunday evenings in the churches where they served.

His father would eventually rise to the position of ministerial supervisor.

Phil, his two brothers, and his half-sister grew up in a strict household that forbade them from watching movies, dancing, or watching television (when there was one).

He didn’t go to his first dance until he was a senior in high school, and he didn’t watch his first movie until he was a senior in college.

Phil Jackson was a varsity basketball player at Williston High School in North Dakota, where he led the team to two state championships.

He was also a football player, a baseball pitcher, and a discus thrower.

Years later, his older brother Chuck claimed sports enthralled the three Jackson sons, including Phil, since it was the only time they allowed them to do what other kids were doing.

Note That

Several baseball scouts sort out Phil.

Bill Fitch, a future NBA coach who had previously coached baseball and was scouting for the Atlanta Braves, found their notes.

In the spring of 1962, during Jackson’s junior year of high school, Fitch took over as head basketball coach at the University of North Dakota.

After supper and a movie with a glass of wine, Fitch successfully recruited him to UND, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity.

In his sophomore and junior years, Jackson helped the Fighting Sioux to third and fourth-place finishes in the NCAA Division II tournament (1965 and 1966).

Southern Illinois would defeat them both years.

Jackson’s future Knicks teammate Walt Frazier was the Salukis’ brightest star during this time, but the two only met in 1965 because Frazier was academically ineligible in 1966.

Phil majored in religion, philosophy, and psychology at college.

They named a sports complex after Jackson in Williston, North Dakota, where he attended high school.

NBA Playing Career

NBA Playing Career

The New York Knicks selected Jackson in the second round of the 1967 NBA draft.

Phil Jackson was a good all-around athlete with extraordinarily long arms, but he has his limitations in the offense.

He overcame his offensive shortcomings via pure intelligence and hard work, particularly on defense, and eventually became a fan favorite and one of the NBA’s top backups.

He was a key reserve on the New York Knicks team that won the NBA title in 1973 (Jackson missed the Knicks’ 1970 championship season.

They won because of spinal fusion surgery, but he wrote “Take It All,” a pictorial journal of the team’s 1970 championship run).

Several important stars from the championship teams retired soon after the second title, putting Jackson into the starting lineup.

He was a resident of Leonia, New Jersey.

In 1978, he moved across the Hudson to the New Jersey Nets, where he played for two seasons before retiring in 1980.

With 330 total personal fouls in the 1974-75 NBA season, Phil Jackson of the New York Knicks and Bob Dandridge of the Milwaukee Bucks tied for first place.

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Coaching Record

Coaching Record

Jackson has a winning record every year as a head coach.

He presently has the highest winning percentage of any Hall of Fame coach, as well as any NBA coach who has coached 500 or more games.

Phil Jackson is the only coach to win at least 10 championships in any of North America’s major professional sports, besides his NBA-record 11 titles.

He had the fifth-most wins of any NBA coach at the completion of the 2010 season and was one of just six coaches with over 1,000 wins.

Jackson was the only one of the six who hadn’t coached over 1,900 games, and the only one who wasn’t in the top ten for total games coached.

Executive Career

Executive Career

Jackson was in talks with the New York Knicks for months in 2014 about becoming an executive with the organization.

After signing a five-year, $60 million contract, they announce him as the Knicks’ president on March 18.

Jackson sacked Mike Woodson and his entire staff on April 21, 2014, more than a week after the season ended.

The Knicks concluded the season with a 37–45 record, good enough for a ninth place in the Eastern Conference.

They named Derek Fisher as the Knicks’ head coach on June 9, 2014.

Fisher earned five championships as a Laker while playing under Phil Jackson.

After being traded by the Pacers, the Knicks also got Louis Labeyrie, a second-round draft pick.

The Knicks set a franchise record with 13 straight losses on January 7, 2015.

Note That

The Washington Wizards defeated the Knicks 101–91, ending the franchise’s greatest losing run in its 69-year history.

After a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Global Games in London, they extended this streak to 16 straight losses.

They finished the season with a 17–65 record, which was the lowest in team history.

The Knicks selected Latvian Kristaps Porziis with the fourth overall choice in the 2015 NBA draft on June 25, 2015; on July 30, 2015, he signed his rookie-scale deal with the Knicks.

On the same night, the Knicks traded Tim Hardaway Jr.

for the 19th overall pick in the draft, Jerian Grant. For the 2016 season, Porziis was on the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

Jackson selected French point guard Frank Ntilikina in the 2017 NBA Draft, his final NBA Draft with the Knicks.

Phil chose Damyean Dotson and Ognjen Jaramaz in the second round.
On June 28, 2017, the Knicks and Jackson announced their mutual decision to separate ways.

Jackson’s attempted buyout of Carmelo Anthony and his public spat with Porziis were cited as possible reasons for their split.

Steve Mills, a previous subordinate of Jackson’s, would take Jackson’s post.

The Zen Master of the Triangle Offense

The Zen Master of the Triangle Offense

Jackson earned the nickname “Zen Master” for his usage of Tex Winter’s triangle offense as well as a holistic approach to coaching that is influenced by Eastern philosophy.

(One of the key guiding elements in Jackson’s life is Robert Pirsig’s book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.)

His nickname “Zen Master” comes from his respect for the book.) In his book “Sacred Hoops,” he also incorporates Native American spiritual practices.

He wrote several open books regarding his teams and basketball methods.

Jackson has also received the Roughrider Award from the state of North Dakota.

Phil Jackson leads the Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2007 class.

He often tries to change his appearance so that the media cannot use previous images of him for current news.

He was no longer sporting his renowned white mustache, which had seen him win nine NBA championships, as of September 2008.

Motivational Techniques

Motivational Techniques

They also regarded Jackson as the “Master of Mind Games” besides being renowned as the “Zen Master.”

Phil Jackson alternated shots of Edward Norton’s character from the film American History X.

Edward Norton had a bald head and a swastika tattoo, with photos of Sacramento’s white, shaved-headed.

He also had a tattooed point guard, Jason Williams, in the Laker film room before the 2000 playoffs.

Jackson then alternated between showing photographs of Adolf Hitler and Sacramento coach Rick Adelman.

When Rick Adelman found out, he publicly questioned Jackson’s motivational skills, claiming that Jackson had “stepped the line.”

Additional Information on Motivational Techniques

Despite this, the Lakers went on to win the series and the title.

In the 2001 NBA Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Phil Jackson had Tyronn Lue, a Lakers player who was comparable in size and height to Sixers star Allen Iverson, wear a sock on his arm during Lakers practice.

This is to simulate Iverson’s use of a compression arm sleeve as part of his regular gameday attire.

The Philadelphia media interpreted this as Jackson’s mind game, but the real goal was to mimic a game versus Iverson, right down to the tattoos and cornrows (which Lue also had).

How Many Rings Does Phil Jackson Have?

How Many Rings Does Phil Jackson Have?

Phil Jackson has won a total of 13 NBA championships.

Two of the rings were earned while he was a member of the New York Knicks.

The remaining 11 are from his stint as a coach with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers.

In 1970 and 1973, he won two rings with the New York Knicks.

He earned six rings with the Chicago Bulls over the years:

1991

1992

1993

1996

1997

1998

He won five rings with the Los Angeles Lakers over the years:

2000

2001

2002

2009

2010

After 2011, he stepped down as a coach.

Phil Jackson holds the record for the most NBA championships won.

Does Phil Jackson Have The Most NBA Championship Rings?

Does Phil Jackson Have The Most NBA Championship Rings?

When you count the rings he got as a player and as a coach, Phil Jackson has the most in the NBA.

He has two rings as a player.

Phil does not hold the most rings in the NBA in that capacity.

Players like Bill Russell, who has 11, and Michael Jordan, who has six, are ahead of him.

He’s not even in the top ten list of NBA players with the most rings.

As a coach, he has the most NBA rings.

The rings he received as a coach total 11, not including the ones he received as a player.

This is the most of any coach in the league.

Red Auerbach of the Boston Celtics is the second closest to that number.

During his career, they awarded him nine rings.

Following Red is John Kundla, a five-ring winner as a coach with the Minneapolis Lakers.

They tied Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs for third place.

Pop was also a five-time ring winner as a coach.

Pat Riley of the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat is the final coach in a three-way tie for third place.

Riley coached those two teams to five rings.

Could Phil Jackson Have Earned More Rings?

Could Phil Jackson Have Earned More Rings?

Phil Jackson was a talented player, but he lacked the star power of some of his peers.

Only at the conclusion of his playing career did he play more frequently.

Unless his team gained a star player, it’s unlikely that he would have received any more rings because of his play.

However, as a coach, there’s a good chance he could have racked up more rings.

The Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA title in 2020.

The team could have won a couple more games if he had been coaching them.

Looking back on his career and his ability to coach teams to three-peat victory, there’s little doubt that he would have added to his ring collection if he had coached for a few more years.

What Do Phil Jackson’s Rings Look Like?

What Do Phil Jackson’s Rings Look Like?

Phil Jackson owns a plethora of rings.

Two of the rings are from his time as a player, while the other 11 are from his time as a head coach.

Here are some examples of those rings, as well as the stories that go with them.

1. The 1970s New York Knicks NBA Championship Rings

With the New York Knicks, Jackson won his first championship ring in 1970.

During that game, there were a lot of firsts.

It was the first NBA Finals series to be broadcast live and in full color on television.

There was also uproar when the championship game was not broadcasted on ABC.

Rather, it was broadcast on MSG Network, which had only a few subscribers at the time.

Despite the broadcasting disaster, the game between the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers was a close one.

They had to play a game seven because the competition was so fierce.

The New York Knicks eventually defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 4-3 in the NBA Finals.

Jackson was a late replacement for the game, but he shared the ring with the rest of his teammates.

The ring for the 1970 championship had a basketball on the front.

A huge white diamond sits in the center of the basketball.

They engrave “NBA World Champions” on the ring’s bezel.

The NBA logo, with its customary blue and red background, is on one side of the ring.

On either side of the emblem is the year of the championship.

They also engrave Jackson’s name on the other side of the ring.

On either side, it states “NY 4” and “LA 3” to indicate the series record.

The Knicks’ logo is on this side.

At the bottom, the logo morphs into the top of the championship trophy.

2. The 1973 New York Knicks NBA Championship Ring

In the 1973 game, the Knicks had something to prove.

They had lost the previous title to the Lakers and sought to reclaim the crown.

It didn’t get off to a good start.

The Knicks were defeated 115-112 in the opening game.

However, they came back strong in the following games.

Despite a few injuries, they were able to win four consecutive games and go to the finals.

Due to an injury, Jackson was unable to participate in the finals.

He spent the entire season putting together a visual book of the Knicks’ remarkable trip to the title.

Along with the rest of the players and management staff, they awarded him a ring.

The championship ring he received in 1973 is nearly identical to the one he received in 1970.

It bears the same NBA logo on one side and the same face on the other.

The side with his name on it is the sole difference.

The Knicks logo remains, but the numerals that reflect the series’ record have changed.

It says “NY 4” and “LA 1” to represent their final victory against the Lakers.

3. The 1991 Chicago Bulls NBA Championship Ring

In 1989, Jackson was named head coach of the Chicago Bulls, and he was eager to lead the team to an NBA championship.

Michael Jordan, too, wanted to see his first NBA finals.

They were matched up against the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals.

The Bulls had never beaten the Lakers before.

Magic Johnson, who was planning to retire after the season, was also in the match.

Jackson used his well-known triangle offense.

Rather than relying entirely on Jordan to score, it provided more opportunity for all the players to make shots.

The strategy was successful.

They blew away the opposition.

They even had a rematch with the Detroit Pistons, who had beaten them multiple times the previous season.

To avoid celebrating the Bulls, some Detroit players famously walked off the court with eight seconds left.

The Lakers were the only club standing in the way of the Bulls winning the championship after they defeated the Pistons.

Note That

The first game was a tough fight.

Before they tied again, each squad barely snuck out in front of the other.

In the end, the Lakers scored a field goal to win the opening game.

Despite an early defeat to the Lakers, the Bulls fought back.

They would go on to win the Lakers’ next five games.

This was not just Phil Jackson’s first NBA victory as a coach, but also Michael Jordan’s.

The ring was created by Jostens for the team and management.

The only difference between Jackson’s ring and the player’s ring is that on the side of his ring, instead of a jersey number, it says “coach.”

It also has his name on it.

At the front and center of the ring, Jostens chose to place a big gold bull.

The team’s name was inscribed in the front of their logo between the bull’s horns.

The same is also for the team’s record for the year it was on the side with Jackson’s name.

This ring was made out of 10-karat gold.

4. The 1993 Chicago Bulls NBA Championship Ring

Jackson and his teammates sought to make history by becoming the first team to win three consecutive championships.

Since the Boston Celtics, no one had done it.

Following victories in 1991 and 1992, Chicago had every chance to repeat.

Jackson kept coaching his club and emphasized the triangle offense.

Michael Jordan remained a member of the squad.

Scottie Pippen and he had just returned from the Olympics in Barcelona.

Despite their exhaustion, they were keen to complete their three-peat.

The Phoenix Suns were the team that stood in their way.

The Bulls had an easy time with the Suns at first.

In the first two games, they defeated them.

Charles Barkley’s elbow injury exacerbated the Suns’ struggles.

He was no longer in the game because of it.

However, by the third game, things didn’t appear to be going so well for the Bulls or Jackson.

The competition was tough, but because of a draw, the game went into triple overtime.

Note That

The Suns were victorious in the end.

The Bulls came back to win game four, and the Suns did the same in-game five.

It all came down to the final game.

For this game, Jackson implemented a “Blind Pig” play that he had been coaching the players on.

It allowed them to stay in the game and maintain a close score.

John Paxson hit a three-point try with 3.9 seconds left and scored.

It put the Bulls ahead and gave them the win.

Jackson and his teammates had made it three in a row.

For that victory in 1993, Jostens created a one-of-a-kind ring.

They molded a red stone into the shape of a bull’s head with it.

They set it in the center of the ring, surrounded by diamonds.

Jackson’s name and the title of coach are engraved on the ring’s side.

It also includes the title trophy and the team’s playoff standings.

The NBA logo is on the other side of the ring, but it also has “3-peat” printed on the bottom.

A three-sided symbol shape is also featured on the ring.

After Jordan’s brief retirement from the Bulls in 1993, Jackson would not win another NBA championship until his comeback.

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5. The 1996 Chicago Bulls NBA Championship Ring

Michael Jordan officially returned to the squad in 1996, while he technically rejoined the team in the middle of the 1994–1995 season.

The team has also evolved.

Many of the players Jackson had coached had retired or left the squad on their own volition.

Despite this, Jackson had worked hard to choose important players who could help the club win.

Dennis Rodman, who had a turbulent and flamboyant lifestyle, was one of the most contentious choices.

Despite the alterations, the Bulls could go to the playoffs.

They finished the regular season with 72 victories.

It was the best team in the league.

They were pitted against the Seattle Supersonics in the finals.

At first, the Bulls were able to win three games in a row.

The Sonics then retaliated with two back-to-back victories in games four and five.

The sixth and final game would be the decisive factor.

Because of Rodman’s rebounding, the Bulls were able to win the game.

The final score was 87-75 in favor of the team.

More Information on The 1996 Chicago Bulls NBA Championship Ring

As their coach, Jackson had earned his fourth ring.

Jostens added four trophies to the face of their championship ring to commemorate their four victories in such a short time.

A white diamond was used to represent each trophy’s basketball.

Jackson’s name and title as a coach are engraved on the ring’s side.

It also includes a drawing of a red bull’s face, which serves as the team’s logo.

The NBA logo is on the other side of the ring, which includes a few unique elements.

It reads “Greatest Team Ever” to reflect the team’s outstanding success in 1996.

The “72 Wins” on the ring also represents this.

The Chicago skyline may be seen behind the NBA logo.

6. The 2000 LA Lakers NBA Championship Ring

They released Jackson from the Chicago Bulls in 1998.

As a result, many other team members, including Michael Jordan, left.

Jackson initially stated that he would never coach again, but he was eventually persuaded to coach the Los Angeles Lakers.

With the Los Angeles Lakers, other superstars surrounded Jackson.

Although he no longer had Michael Jordan, he had Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.

He went to work teaching them how to use the triangle offense right away.

Although Bryant didn’t care for it, O’Neal quickly adjusted to it.

With Shaq and Kobe on the club, they’d enjoy a tremendous season.

They had struggled in portions of the playoffs leading up to the finals, but they persevered until they only needed to beat the Indiana Pacers to win.

In the first game, they charged right out of the gate.

O’Neal alone scored 43 points, In the contest.

In game two, the Lakers would once again dominate.

Larry Bird, who was coaching the Pacers attempted a defensive strategy against Shaq, but it failed miserably.

The Lakers would prefer to win game two.

Their final game would be game six.

The Pacers had already won two games at that point.

Game six was also a close call.

Note That

For parts of the game, they were neck and neck, but Shaq helped the team press forward until they had a comfortable advantage.

The Lakers defeated the Pacers, and Jackson was awarded his first NBA ring as a member of the team.

Their first success in a long time had a gorgeous design.

The Lakers’ name was centered in the ring, which was encircled by diamonds.

On the side of the ring, Jackson’s name appears, as does his title as a coach, which replaces a jersey number.

This side also shows the team’s regular-season and postseason records.

On the other side of the ring is the slogan “Bling Bling,” which Shaq used to motivate the squad to victory.

There’s also a trophy with a diamond in the shape of a basketball, on this side

This championship would be the first of a three-peat for the Lakers and Jackson.

Phil Jackson owns a slew of NBA rings, including two as a player and several as a coach.

Although he had issues with some of the managerial personnel and Bryant, his coaching

strategies and abilities were exceptional.

His 13 rings are proof of that.

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