Phil Jackson facts for kids
Jackson in 2009
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 17, 1945 Deer Lodge, Montana, U.S. |
| High school | Williston (Williston, North Dakota) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | North Dakota (1964–1967) |
| NBA Draft | 1967 / Round: 2 / Pick: 17th overall |
| Selected by the New York Knicks | |
| Pro career | 1967–1980 |
| Coaching career | 1978–2011 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1967–1978 | New York Knicks |
| 1978–1980 | New Jersey Nets |
| As coach: | |
| 1978–1981 | New Jersey Nets (assistant) |
| 1982–1987 | Albany Patroons |
| 1984 | Piratas de Quebradillas |
| 1984–1986 | Gallitos de Isabela |
| 1987 | Piratas de Quebradillas |
| 1987–1989 | Chicago Bulls (assistant) |
| 1989–1998 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1999–2004, 2005–2011 |
Los Angeles Lakers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
As head coach:
|
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 5,428 (6.7 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 3,454 (4.3 rpg) |
| Assists | 898 (1.1 apg) |
Philip Douglas Jackson (born September 17, 1945) is a famous American former basketball player, coach, and team executive. He played as a power forward for 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). During his playing career, Jackson won two NBA championships with the New York Knicks in 1970 and 1973.
Phil Jackson is known as one of the greatest coaches in basketball history. He coached the Chicago Bulls from 1989 to 1998, leading them to an amazing six NBA championships. After that, he coached the Los Angeles Lakers from 1999 to 2004 and again from 2005 to 2011. Under his leadership, the Lakers won five more league titles.
Jackson's 11 NBA coaching titles broke the record of nine set by Red Auerbach. He also holds records for most playoff wins (229) and most NBA Conference titles (13). He is famous for using the "triangle offense" and for his unique coaching style, which included ideas from Eastern philosophy. This earned him the nickname "Zen Master". In 2007, Jackson was added to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and School Years
Phil Jackson was born in Deer Lodge, Montana, on September 17, 1945. His parents, Charles and Elisabeth Funk Jackson, were ministers. Phil and his two brothers and half-sister grew up in a quiet area of Montana. Their home life was very simple, and they were not allowed to dance or watch television. Phil didn't see his first movie until he was in his last year of high school. He also went to a dance for the first time when he was in college. Growing up, he thought he would become a minister like his parents.
High School Sports
Jackson went to high school in Williston, North Dakota. He was a talented athlete and played many sports. He played varsity basketball and helped his team win a state championship. He also played football, was a pitcher on the baseball team, and threw the discus in track and field. The high school even has a sports complex named after him today! His brother thought that Phil and his brothers loved sports so much because it was one of the few times they could do what other kids were doing.
College Basketball Journey
Phil Jackson caught the eye of Bill Fitch, who later became an NBA coach. Fitch convinced Jackson to play basketball at the University of North Dakota. Jackson did very well there. He helped the North Dakota Fighting Sioux team finish third and fourth in the NCAA Division II tournament in 1965 and 1966. In both years, his team lost to the Southern Illinois Salukis.
Playing in the NBA
New York Knicks (1967–1978)
In the 1967 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks picked Phil Jackson in the second round. He was a good athlete with long arms. Even though he wasn't the best at scoring, he was very smart and worked hard on defense. Jackson became a favorite with fans and a key player off the bench. He was an important reserve player when the Knicks won the NBA title in 1973.
Jackson missed the Knicks' 1969–70 championship season because he had back surgery. However, he wrote a book called Take It All, which was a photo diary of that championship season. After the 1973 title, some of the Knicks' main players retired. This gave Jackson a chance to become a starter.
New Jersey Nets (1978–1980)
After playing for the Knicks, Jackson moved to the New Jersey Nets in 1978. He played two seasons for them before retiring as a player after the 1979–80 NBA season.
Coaching Career Highlights
Early Coaching Years (1982–1987)
After his playing career, Jackson started coaching in smaller professional leagues. These included the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) and Puerto Rico's National Superior Basketball. In the CBA, he won his first coaching championship in 1984 with the Albany Patroons. He was also named the CBA Coach of the Year in 1985.
Jackson tried to get coaching jobs in the NBA, but he was often turned down. Some people thought his different way of thinking, which came from his playing days, might have made NBA teams hesitant.
Chicago Bulls Dynasty (1987–1998)
In 1987, the Chicago Bulls hired Jackson as an assistant coach. He became the head coach in 1989. Around this time, he learned about the "triangle offense" from Tex Winter and became a big believer in it.
Over nine seasons, Jackson led the Bulls to six NBA championships. They won three titles in a row, then after a short break, won another three in a row! This "three-peat" was the first since the Boston Celtics won eight titles in a row from 1959 to 1966.
Jackson and the Bulls made the playoffs every year. They only failed to win the championship three times. When Michael Jordan retired for the first time after the 1992–1993 season, it ended their first "three-peat." Even though Jordan came back before the 1995 playoffs, the Bulls were still eliminated by the Orlando Magic.
Despite all the success, there were some disagreements between Jackson and Bulls general manager Jerry Krause. After the Bulls won their final title with Michael Jordan in 1998, Jackson left the team. He said he would never coach again. However, after taking a year off, he decided to coach the Los Angeles Lakers in 1999.
Los Angeles Lakers Success (1999–2004, 2005–2011)
Jackson took over a very talented Lakers team and quickly brought them success, just like he did in Chicago. In his first year in Los Angeles, the Lakers had an amazing 67–15 record. They went on to win the 2000 NBA championship by beating the Indiana Pacers.
With superstar players Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, Jackson led the Lakers to two more titles in 2001 and 2002. This meant he achieved his third "three-peat" as a head coach! The biggest challenge for the Lakers during this time came from their rival, the Sacramento Kings.
However, injuries and some disagreements between Bryant and O'Neal caused problems for the team. In 2003, they lost in the playoffs to the San Antonio Spurs. Jackson and Bryant also had frequent disagreements. Bryant sometimes didn't like Jackson's "triangle offense" and would try his own moves during games.
Before the 2003–04 season, the Lakers added star players Karl Malone and Gary Payton. Many people thought the team would have the best record ever. Despite some challenges, the Lakers reached the 2004 NBA Finals. But they were surprisingly defeated by the Detroit Pistons. This was the first time Jackson had lost in the NBA Finals as a head coach.
After this loss, Jackson left the Lakers. He later wrote a book called The Last Season, sharing his thoughts on the 2003–04 team.
On June 15, 2005, the Lakers rehired Jackson. He led them to the playoffs again in 2006. The team played much better, and Kobe Bryant had a great season. However, the Lakers lost in the first round to the Phoenix Suns. This was the first time a Jackson-coached team didn't make it past the first round of the playoffs.
On January 7, 2007, Jackson won his 900th game, becoming the fastest coach to reach this milestone. In 2008, the Lakers acquired Pau Gasol, giving Bryant another star player. Jackson coached the Lakers to the 2008 NBA Finals, but they lost to the Boston Celtics.
On December 25, 2008, Jackson won his 1,000th game, again becoming the fastest coach to reach this mark. He led the Lakers to the NBA Finals again in 2009, where they defeated the Orlando Magic. This was Jackson's 10th NBA championship as a head coach, breaking the record he shared with Red Auerbach.
On February 3, 2010, Jackson became the most successful coach in Lakers history with his 534th win. The Lakers went on to win the 2010 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, giving Jackson his 11th NBA championship and fifth with the Lakers.
Jackson decided that the 2010–11 season would be his last. He retired after the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Dallas Mavericks.
Executive Career
New York Knicks (2014–2017)
In 2014, Phil Jackson became the president of the New York Knicks. He signed a five-year contract. One of his first moves was to fire the head coach, Mike Woodson, and his staff.
On June 9, 2014, the Knicks hired Derek Fisher as their new head coach. Fisher had played for Jackson on the Lakers and won five championships with him. Jackson also made some trades and draft picks for the team.
However, the Knicks struggled during this time. In January 2015, they set a team record with 13 straight losses. They finished the 2014–15 season with a very poor record of 17 wins and 65 losses. In 2015, the Knicks drafted Kristaps Porziņģis, who became a promising young player.
On June 28, 2017, the Knicks and Jackson decided to part ways. He was replaced by Steve Mills.
Awards and Recognition
Phil Jackson won the NBA Coach of the Year Award in 1996. In the same year, he was named one of the ten greatest NBA coaches of all time. He has the highest winning percentage of any coach in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
He also received the Amos Alonzo Stagg Coaching Award in 2002 and 2010. Jackson is also a recipient of North Dakota's Roughrider Award.
Personal Life
Phil Jackson has five children and eight grandchildren. He has been married twice. He dated Jeanie Buss, the daughter of Lakers owner Jerry Buss, and they were engaged in 2013. However, they announced the end of their engagement in 2016.
Jackson has studied psychology. He is also a fan of the band The Grateful Dead. In 2011, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had surgery after the playoffs. In 2020, he was featured in the documentary miniseries The Last Dance, which was about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.
Career Statistics
Playing
NBA
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967–68 | New York | 75 | 5 | 14.6 | .400 | – | .589 | 4.5 | .7 | – | – | 6.2 |
| 1968–69 | New York | 47 | 4 | 19.7 | .429 | – | .672 | 5.2 | .9 | – | – | 7.1 |
| 1970–71 | New York | 71 | 7 | 10.8 | .449 | – | .714 | 3.4 | .4 | – | – | 4.7 |
| 1971–72 | New York | 80 | 6 | 15.9 | .440 | – | .732 | 4.1 | .9 | – | – | 7.2 |
| 1972–73† | New York | 80 | 4 | 17.4 | .443 | – | .790 | 4.3 | 1.2 | – | – | 8.1 |
| 1973–74 | New York | 82* | 21 | 25.0 | .477 | – | .776 | 5.8 | 1.6 | .5 | .8 | 11.1 |
| 1974–75 | New York | 78 | 61 | 29.3 | .455 | – | .763 | 7.7 | 1.7 | 1.1 | .7 | 10.8 |
| 1975–76 | New York | 80 | 3 | 18.3 | .478 | – | .733 | 4.3 | 1.3 | .5 | .3 | 6.0 |
| 1976–77 | New York | 76 | 2 | 13.6 | .440 | – | .718 | 3.0 | 1.1 | .4 | .2 | 3.4 |
| 1977–78 | New York | 63 | 0 | 10.4 | .478 | – | .768 | 1.7 | .7 | .5 | .4 | 2.4 |
| 1978–79 | New Jersey | 59 | 18.1 | .475 | – | .819 | 3.0 | 1.4 | .8 | .4 | 6.3 | |
| 1979–80 | New Jersey | 16 | 12.1 | .630 | .000 | .700 | 1.5 | .8 | .3 | .3 | 4.1 | |
| Career | 807 | 113 | 17.6 | .453 | .000 | .736 | 4.3 | 1.1 | .6 | .4 | 6.7 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | New York | 6 | – | 15.0 | .286 | – | .800 | 4.2 | .3 | – | – | 4.0 |
| 1971 | New York | 5 | – | 6.0 | .286 | – | 1.000 | 2.0 | .4 | – | – | 1.8 |
| 1972 | New York | 16* | – | 20.0 | .475 | – | .737 | 5.1 | .9 | – | – | 9.8 |
| 1973† | New York | 17* | – | 19.9 | .500 | – | .737 | 4.2 | 1.4 | – | – | 8.7 |
| 1974 | New York | 12 | – | 24.8 | .466 | – | .900 | 4.8 | 1.3 | .8 | .4 | 11.3 |
| 1975 | New York | 3 | – | 26.0 | .476 | – | .875 | 8.3 | .7 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 9.0 |
| 1978 | New York | 6 | – | 8.3 | .500 | – | .667 | 1.7 | .5 | .5 | .0 | 2.0 |
| 1979 | New Jersey | 2 | – | 10.0 | .333 | – | 1.000 | 1.5 | .0 | .5 | .0 | 2.0 |
| Career | 67 | – | 18.3 | .458 | – | .782 | 4.2 | .9 | .8 | .3 | 7.7 | |
Head coaching record
Phil Jackson has an amazing coaching record, winning more games than he lost every single year he was a head coach. He has the highest winning percentage of any coach in the Hall of Fame who coached 500 games or more. With his NBA-record 11 championships, he is the only coach to win at least 10 championships in any major professional sport in North America.
At the end of the 2010 season, he was among the top NBA coaches for total wins. He was also one of the few with over 1,000 wins, and he reached that number faster than almost anyone else.
| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win–loss % |
| Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win–loss % |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | 1989–90 | 82 | 55 | 27 | .671 | 2nd in Central | 16 | 10 | 6 | .625 | Lost in Conf. Finals |
| Chicago | 1990–91 | 82 | 61 | 21 | .744 | 1st in Central | 17 | 15 | 2 | .882 | Won NBA Championship |
| Chicago | 1991–92 | 82 | 67 | 15 | .817 | 1st in Central | 22 | 15 | 7 | .682 | Won NBA Championship |
| Chicago | 1992–93 | 82 | 57 | 25 | .695 | 1st in Central | 19 | 15 | 4 | .789 | Won NBA Championship |
| Chicago | 1993–94 | 82 | 55 | 27 | .671 | 2nd in Central | 10 | 6 | 4 | .600 | Lost in Conf. Semifinals |
| Chicago | 1994–95 | 82 | 47 | 35 | .573 | 3rd in Central | 10 | 5 | 5 | .500 | Lost in Conf. Semifinals |
| Chicago | 1995–96 | 82 | 72 | 10 | .878 | 1st in Central | 18 | 15 | 3 | .833 | Won NBA Championship |
| Chicago | 1996–97 | 82 | 69 | 13 | .841 | 1st in Central | 19 | 15 | 4 | .789 | Won NBA Championship |
| Chicago | 1997–98 | 82 | 62 | 20 | .756 | 1st in Central | 21 | 15 | 6 | .714 | Won NBA Championship |
| L.A. Lakers | 1999–00 | 82 | 67 | 15 | .817 | 1st in Pacific | 23 | 15 | 8 | .652 | Won NBA Championship |
| L.A. Lakers | 2000–01 | 82 | 56 | 26 | .683 | 1st in Pacific | 16 | 15 | 1 | .938 | Won NBA Championship |
| L.A. Lakers | 2001–02 | 82 | 58 | 24 | .707 | 2nd in Pacific | 19 | 15 | 4 | .789 | Won NBA Championship |
| L.A. Lakers | 2002–03 | 82 | 50 | 32 | .610 | 2nd in Pacific | 12 | 6 | 6 | .500 | Lost in Conf. Semifinals |
| L.A. Lakers | 2003–04 | 82 | 56 | 26 | .683 | 1st in Pacific | 22 | 13 | 9 | .591 | Lost in NBA Finals |
| L.A. Lakers | 2005–06 | 82 | 45 | 37 | .549 | 3rd in Pacific | 7 | 3 | 4 | .429 | Lost in first round |
| L.A. Lakers | 2006–07 | 82 | 42 | 40 | .512 | 2nd in Pacific | 5 | 1 | 4 | .200 | Lost in first round |
| L.A. Lakers | 2007–08 | 82 | 57 | 25 | .695 | 1st in Pacific | 21 | 14 | 7 | .667 | Lost in NBA Finals |
| L.A. Lakers | 2008–09 | 82 | 65 | 17 | .793 | 1st in Pacific | 23 | 16 | 7 | .696 | Won NBA Championship |
| L.A. Lakers | 2009–10 | 82 | 57 | 25 | .695 | 1st in Pacific | 23 | 16 | 7 | .696 | Won NBA Championship |
| L.A. Lakers | 2010–11 | 82 | 57 | 25 | .695 | 1st in Pacific | 10 | 4 | 6 | .400 | Lost in Conf. Semifinals |
| Career | 1,640 | 1,155 | 485 | .704 | 333 | 229 | 104 | .688 |
Images for kids
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Jackson circa 1968
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Michael Jordan and Jackson in 1997
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Phil Jackson coaching the Lakers
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Jackson (right) in 2008, standing next to Lakers assistant coach Frank Hamblen (left)
