Phil Jackson Popular Books

Phil Jackson Biography & Facts

Philip Douglas Jackson (born September 17, 1945) 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. Regarded as one of the greatest coaches of all time, 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; the team won five league titles under his leadership. Jackson's 11 NBA titles as a coach surpassed the previous record of nine set by Red Auerbach. He holds numerous other records as a coach, such as most postseason wins (229), and most NBA Conference titles (13).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, garnering him the nickname "Zen Master". Jackson cited Robert Pirsig's book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance as one of the major guiding forces in his life. 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 2007, Jackson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. In 1996, as part of celebrations for the NBA's 50th anniversary, Jackson was named one of the 10 greatest coaches in league history.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. Early life Jackson was born in Deer Lodge, Montana on September 17, 1945. His parents, Charles and Elisabeth Funk Jackson, were Assemblies of God ministers. Elisabeth came from a long line of German Mennonites before her conversion to the Assemblies of God. In the churches that they served, his father, Charles, generally preached on Sunday mornings and his mother on Sunday evenings. Eventually, his father became a ministerial supervisor. Phil, his two brothers, and his half-sister grew up in a remote area of Montana in an austere environment, in which no dancing or television was allowed. Jackson did not see his first movie until he was a senior in high school, and went to a dance for the first time in college. Growing up, he assumed he would become a minister. Jackson attended high school in Williston, North Dakota, where he played varsity basketball and led the team to a state title. He also played football, was a pitcher on the baseball team, and threw the discus in track and field competitions. The high school now has a sports complex named after him. His brother Chuck speculated years later that the three Jackson sons threw themselves passionately into athletics because it was the only time they were allowed to do what other children were doing. Jackson attracted the attention of several baseball scouts. Their notes found their way to future NBA coach Bill Fitch, who had previously coached baseball, and had been doing some scouting for the Atlanta Braves. Fitch took over as head basketball coach at the University of North Dakota in the spring of 1962, during Jackson's junior year of high school. College career Bill Fitch successfully recruited Jackson to the University of North Dakota, where he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Jackson did well there, helping the Fighting Sioux to third- and fourth-place finishes in the NCAA Division II tournament in his sophomore and junior years (1965 and 1966). Both years, they were beaten by the Southern Illinois Salukis. Jackson's future Knicks teammate Walt Frazier was the Salukis' biggest star, but the two only faced off in 1965, as Frazier was academically ineligible in 1966. Professional career New York Knicks (1967–1978) In 1967, Jackson was drafted in the second round by the New York Knicks. While he was a good all-around athlete, with unusually long arms, he was limited offensively but compensated with intelligence and hard work on defense. Jackson eventually established himself as a fan favorite and one of the NBA's leading substitutes, although he had very little playing time. He was a top reserve on the Knicks team that won the NBA title in 1973. Jackson did not play during New York's 1969–70 championship season due to spinal fusion surgery; however, he authored a book entitled Take It All, a photo diary of the Knicks' 1970 championship run. Soon after the 1973 title, several key starters retired, creating an opening for Jackson in the starting lineup. In the 1974–75 NBA season, Jackson and the Milwaukee Bucks' Bob Dandridge shared the lead for total personal fouls, with 330 each. Jackson lived in Leonia, New Jersey, during this time. New Jersey Nets (1978–1980) After crossing the Hudson in 1978 to play two seasons for the New Jersey Nets, Jackson retired as a player after the 1979–80 NBA season. Coaching career CBA and Puerto Rico (1982–1987) In the years immediately following the end of his playing career, Jackson coached in professional leagues like the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) and Puerto Rico's National Superior Basketball (BSN). While in the CBA, he won his first coaching championship, leading the Albany Patroons to their first title in 1984. Jackson was named the CBA Coach of the Year in 1985. In Puerto Rico, he coached the Piratas de Quebradillas (1984 and 1987) and the Gallitos de Isabela (1984–1986). He regularly sought NBA jobs, but was turned down. Jackson had acquired a reputation for being sympathetic to the counterculture during his playing years, which may have scared off potential NBA employers. Chicago Bulls (1987–1998) In 1987, Jackson was hired as an assistant coach by the Chicago Bulls under Doug Collins. He was promoted to head coach after Collins was fired in 1989. It was around this time that he met Tex Winter and became a devotee of Winter's triangle offense. Over nine seasons, Jackson coached the Bulls to six championships, winning three straight championships over separate three-year periods. The "three-peat" was the first since the Boston Celtics won eight titles in a row from 1959 through 1966. Jackson and the Bulls made the playoffs every year, and failed to win the title only three times. Michael Jordan's first retirement after the 1992–1993 season marked the end of the first "three-peat", and although Jordan returned just before the 1995 playoffs, it was not enough to prevent a playoff elimination by the Orlando Magic. Despite the Bulls' success, tension between Jackson and Bulls general manager Jerry Krause grew. Some believed that Krause felt under-recognized for building a championship team and believed that Jackson was indebted to him for giving him his first NBA coaching job. In the summer of 1997, Jackson was not invited to the wedding of Krause's stepdaughter, although all of the Bulls' assistant coaches were, as was Tim Floyd, then head coach at Iowa State, Jacks.... Discover the Phil Jackson popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Phil Jackson books.

Best Seller Phil Jackson Books of 2024

  • Tales from the Chicago Bulls Locker Room synopsis, comments

    Tales from the Chicago Bulls Locker Room

    Bill Wennington & Kent McDill

    Chicago Bulls fans thought they had it so good. From 1991 through 1993 the Bulls won three consecutive NBA titles behind the talents of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. When Jord...

  • I Hate Your Guts synopsis, comments

    I Hate Your Guts

    Jim Norton

    When New York Times bestselling author and comedian Jim Norton isn't paying for massages with happy endings, or pretending to be fooled by transsexuals he picks up, he spends his t...

  • The Mindful Athlete synopsis, comments

    The Mindful Athlete

    George Mumford

    The allstar advisor to athletes like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan shares his revolutionary mindfulnessbased program for elevating athletic performancefeaturing a foreword by lege...

  • Las reglas de Jordan synopsis, comments

    Las reglas de Jordan

    Sam Smith

    En la temporada de 19901991, el célebre periodista Sam Smith tuvo un acceso privilegiado al interior de la franquicia de los Chicago Bulls algo impensable hoy en día y lo aprovechó...

  • Mind Games synopsis, comments

    Mind Games

    Roland Lazenby

    MIND GAMES follows the journey of Phil Jackson to the top of basketball’s coaching hierarchy, a rise that took him from obscurity in the Continental Basketball Association to nine ...

  • Three-Ring Circus synopsis, comments

    Three-Ring Circus

    Jeff Pearlman

    The story of the Lakers dynasty from 1996 through 2004, when Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal combinedand collidedto help bring the Lakers three straight championships and restore ...

  • More Than a Game synopsis, comments

    More Than a Game

    Phil Jackson & Charley Rosen

    More than a Game covers the years that follow the one featured in the ESPN documentary series "The Last Dance."After leaving the Bulls at the end of the 1997199...

  • Jump Attack synopsis, comments

    Jump Attack

    Tim S Grover

    Legendary trainer Tim Grover’s internationally acclaimed training program used by the pros, including Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryantnow completely revised, updated, and expanded, w...

  • Phil Jackson synopsis, comments

    Phil Jackson

    Peter Richmond

    With eleven championship rings to his name, Phil Jackson is internationally recognized as one of the greatest coaches in the history of the NBA. Known as a defensive disrupter and ...

  • Facing Michael Jordan synopsis, comments

    Facing Michael Jordan

    Sean Deveney & Kent McDill

    Relive the magic of the greatest player to ever step on the court.“Air Jordan,” “His Airness,” “MJ.”Whatever you call him, Michael Jeffrey Jordan can be considered one of the great...

  • The Last Enforcer synopsis, comments

    The Last Enforcer

    Charles Oakley

    In this “incredible read on some incredible days and nights in the old association” (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN senior NBA insider) Charles Oakleyone of the toughest and most loyal p...

  • Remembering Kobe Bryant synopsis, comments

    Remembering Kobe Bryant

    Sean Deveney & Jerry West

    Let Stephen Curry, Charles Barkley, Grant Hill, Reggie Miller, and more, tell you what it was like to take the floor against one of the Greatest of All Time. With a Foreword by Jer...

  • Trouthe, Lies, and Basketball synopsis, comments

    Trouthe, Lies, and Basketball

    Charley Rosen

    Elliot Hersch is given a basketball on his tenth birthday and cuts a deal with his disapproving father: if he makes straight As, he is allowed to play. Modeling his game on the bas...

  • Michael Jordan synopsis, comments

    Michael Jordan

    Roland Lazenby

    The definitive biography of a legendary athlete. The Shrug. The Shot. The Flu Game. Michael Jordan is responsible for sublime moments so ingrained in sports history that they have ...

  • Relentless synopsis, comments

    Relentless

    Tim S Grover

    For more than two decades, legendary trainer Tim Grover has taken the greatsMichael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and hundreds of relentless competitors in sports, business, an...

  • Phil Jackson - Un coach, Onze titres NBA synopsis, comments

    Phil Jackson - Un coach, Onze titres NBA

    Phil Jackson

    "L’OUVRAGE Best Seller New York Times L’ALCHIMIE D’UNE ÉQUIPE Avec 11 titres de champion NBA, Phil Jackson est l’entraîneur le plus couronné de l’histoire du basket mondial et de ...

  • Unguarded synopsis, comments

    Unguarded

    Scottie Pippen

    INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERThis unflinching “master class” (The New York Times) of a memoir from twotime Olympic gold medalist and NBA Hall of Famer reveals how Scottie Pippe...

  • Steve Kerr synopsis, comments

    Steve Kerr

    Scott Howard-Cooper

    "Thrilling." Publishers Weekly (starred) | "Riveting." Library Journal (starred) | "A fascinating look at a fascinating life." Roland Lazenby, author of Michael JordanThe definitiv...

  • Empire of Shadows synopsis, comments

    Empire of Shadows

    George Black

    "George Black rediscovers the history and lore of one of the planet's most magnificent landscapes. Read Empire of Shadows, and you'll never think of our firstin many ways our great...

  • Kingdom on Fire synopsis, comments

    Kingdom on Fire

    Scott Howard-Cooper

    In the tradition of Blood in the Garden and ThreeRing Circus comes a bold narrative history of the iconic UCLA Bruins championship teams led by legendary coach John Woodenan incred...

  • Gentle on My Mind synopsis, comments

    Gentle on My Mind

    Kim Campbell

    The pageturning, neverbeforetold story of Kim Campbell's rollercoaster thirtyfouryear marriage to music legend Glen Campbell, including how Kim helped Glen finally conquer his addi...

  • The Half-God of Rainfall synopsis, comments

    The Half-God of Rainfall

    Inua Ellams

    From the awardwinning poet and playwright behind Barber Shop Chronicles, The HalfGod of Rainfall is an epic story and a lyrical exploration of pride, power and female revenge.There...

  • Stand-Up Guys synopsis, comments

    Stand-Up Guys

    Kate Etue & Caroline Siegrist

    StandUp Guys presents a diverse range of 50 Christian men, who saw social and world issues and decided to make their voices heard. Through biographical information paired with illu...

  • Eleven Rings synopsis, comments

    Eleven Rings

    Phil Jackson & Hugh Delehanty

    During his storied career as head coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson won more championships than any coach in the history of professional sports. Even ...

  • Raise the Roof synopsis, comments

    Raise the Roof

    Pat Summitt

    "It wasn't a team.  It was a tent revival."So says Pat Summitt, the legendary coach whose Tennessee Lady Vols entered the 199798 season aiming for an almost unprecedented...

  • Jumpman synopsis, comments

    Jumpman

    Johnny Smith

    How Michael Jordan’s path to greatness was shaped by race, politics, and the consequences of fame To become the most revered basketball player in America, it wasn’t enough for Mich...

  • Improving Schools through Community Engagement synopsis, comments

    Improving Schools through Community Engagement

    Kathy Gardner Chadwick

    Engage your community and help students achieve their full potential!Americans see public schools as a critical community resource and rank education as a priority second only to t...

  • Phil Jackson synopsis, comments

    Phil Jackson

    Patrick Bunker

    Phil JacksonThe Inspirational Life Story of Phil Jackson; A look into the Spiritual Journey of the Zen Master Who Will be Remembered as one of the Greatest Basketball Coaches to Ev...

  • KD synopsis, comments

    KD

    Marcus Thompson

    Golden State Warriors insider and bestselling author Marcus Thompson “paints a complex portrait and captures all the multitudes of a dynamic athlete trying to carve his legacy” (Jo...