Phil Jackson

Philip Douglas Jackson (born September 17, 1945) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A power forward, Jackson played 12 seasons in the NBA, winning NBA championships with the New York Knicks in 1970 and 1973.

He was a top reserve on the Knicks team that won the NBA title in 1973.

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 was the head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 to 1998, leading them to six NBA championships.

In 1996, as part of celebrations for the NBA's 50th anniversary, Jackson was named one of the 10 greatest coaches in league history.

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.

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.