Phil Jackson

Philip Douglas Jackson (born September 17, 1945) is a former American professional basketball player, coach and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Jackson was the head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 until 1998, during which time Chicago won six NBA championships. He then coached the Los Angeles Lakers, who won five championships from 2000 until 2010. In total, Jackson has won 11 NBA titles as a coach, surpassing the previous record of nine set by Red Auerbach. He also won two championships as a player with the New York Knicks in 1970 and 1973, and holds the NBA record for the most combined championships (13) Jackson is known for his use of Tex Winter's triangle offense as well as an holistic approach to coaching that is influenced by Eastern philosophy, earning him the nickname "Zen Master". Jackson cites Robert Pirsig's book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance as one of the major guiding forces in his life. He also applies 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. Jackson is also a recipient of the state of North Dakota's Roughrider Award. In 2007, Jackson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. 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. He retired from coaching in 2011 before joining the Knicks as an executive in March 2014. He was let go as the Knicks' team president on June 28, 2017.