Phil Jackson is a former American basketball player and coach, and he is currently one of the top NBA directors. Phil started his career as a basketball player, he was one of the most talented players who appeared in the NBA League, along with his team he has won the NBA Championship a few times.
Phil was a great fan of basketball and sport, and his love for basketball helped him become one of the best and most successful basketball players ever. When he decided to leave the basketball as a player, Phil could not be abandon this sport. He said several times that he was “too in love with this sport” and that the basketball was the most important part of his life.
However, when he realized that he was not in a good shape and when he could no longer achieve good results, Phil decided to retire and continue his career in a different way. Phil had a great desire to become a basketball coach to help his teammates and his team.
His desire was very strong, so he decided to seriously devote himself to this goal and to prove his talent. He felt that his experience as a basketball player would help him to become a successful coach. And when we summarize the impressions, we must admit that Phil was right.
In many interviews Phil said that he was not an ordinary trainer who helped his team through knowledge, but that he fully understands them because he was a player and he understood how hard their job is.
He said that his experience was invaluable and that it helped him in many situations, especially in important and big matches.
When he was asked about the secret of his success, Phil said that his only secret was love and passion for this sport.
As a basketball coach, Phil achieved incredible results, he won eleven times the NBA Championship. He has been named the best coach of the NBA League several times. His success is not known only in America, but around the world.
Many believe that Phil is the best coach in American history, and that his success has improved the basketball. When we talk about statistics, we must say that Phil is invincible, he is the record holder in the number of won titles.
During his coaching career Phil led only two teams, and his biggest success was recorded in Los Angeles Lakers.
However, in 2011, Phil decided to end his career and retire. It is true that his success will always be remembered and that his teams will always be grateful. As the reason for his departure, Phil said that he wanted to dedicate himself to his family and spend more time with his grandchildren.
During his career, Phil wrote several books, his first book was about his private life and the great struggle he was leading to become a good and successful player. In this book Phil spoke about his family, and about his beginnings in basketball.
His next books were talking about basketball and numerous strategies and plans he had. During the 50th anniversary of the founding of the NBA, Phil Jackson was named the best coach in the history of the NBA Leagues, and a few years later he received the highest recognition in this sport, he was invited to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Many magazines have written about this talented basketball coach, and many called him “American wonder”. On the other hand, Phil led a simple life and called himself as an average American.
He had his family, and spent most of his time with them, unlike other celebrities, Phil never spent money on expensive cars or homes. He lived as an average citizen, and for this reason people loved him. He was always positive and hesitant, he helped his fellow citizens, and in 2008 he became a member of a humanitarian organization that helped children without parents.
Early life
Phil had a very different childhood from other children, his parents were very religious and had special rules about educating their children. His parents were Assemblies of God ministers, although he was very proud of his parents, Phil wanted a different future for himself and his brothers and sisters.
Phil was not like his brothers, he believed in God and the church, but he had other dreams and plans for his future while he was a child.
However, he never believed that he could once become a successful basketball player. His parents were old-fashioned, they believed that schools could not help enough in the development of children and therefore decided that their children had a home schooling.
They engaged educated, religious and successful professors who taught their children and helped them prepare for future.
His parents were very strict, they did not allow children to have friends, to watch TV or to dress modern. In his first book, Phil talked about his childhood, he discovered that he had never felt happy in his family and that his parents understood this, but they did not allow him to override the rules.
He wrote in his book that he had no friends in childhood and that his family lived in isolated farm house.
On the other hand, his parents enjoyed their work and believed that they were doing the right and best things for their children. As time passed, Phil believed that he could not fix the future, and that he was meant to become a minister one day. Nevertheless, in just a few months, his life has completely changed.
When he was 16 years old, Phil convinced his parents that he should go in High School like other children and his parents accepted that idea.
After several months, many noticed his talent for sport, he starting winning numerous medals as an athlete, but he showed the greatest talent in basketball, and so his successful career began. In high school, Phil achieved great results, he was a great fan of this sport and was ready to do everything in his power to become a successful basketball player.
A few years later, his brothers started following his footsteps, they enrolled High school and became excellent athletes. When Phil was asked if it was a coincidence that his brothers became as successful as Phil, he answered that sport was the only thing that his brothers and he could do as well as other children. In the sport, everyone was equal.
Career
Phil started his first basketball steps in high school, where he caught the attention of future NBA coach Bill Fitch. The big problem for Phil was a lack of experience, all the other kids were already training the basketball while Phil did not know the basic rules. Still, Bill Fitch saw the future NBA star in Phil, and he decided to help him.
With the help of his coach, Phil improved his game and strategy, and became one of the best players in the school. Phil received a scholarship from the University of North Dakota.
In 1967 Phil was drafted by the New York Knicks. Many sport critics did not consider this a good solution for the Knicks, because they believed that Phil was only a good athlete but not a basketball player, but he proved otherwise.
After just a few months of great games, Phil became one of the best player and audience loved him. Together with his team Phil won the NBA Championship in 1973. However, in 1975, Phil had a serious spinal surgery, so he was forced to miss the NBA Championship.
After recovering, Phil played several matches, but his game was not good enough, so he decided to retire as a basketball player.
Although he decided to leave the basketball career, Phil did not want to be excluded from the basketball. After a brief break, Phil was engaged as an assistant coach of the Chicago Bulls, and he started a successful coaching career with them.
With this team Phil has won three championships, that year was one of the best in the history of this team. Nevertheless, Phil was not satisfied with the situation that prevailed in the club and he believed that the team could give better results.
Phil was one of the responsible persons who reorganized the team. Michael Jordan was just one of the players who came to this club, thanks to the excellent results of this team.
Phil became the leader of the talented Lakers in 1999, and his results became immediately apparent.
He helped the team regenerate and renew their energy, and for that reason they became the team with the highest number of titles in the NBA League.
Personal life
As a public figure, Phil never wanted to talk about his family, and about his private life. The only information the public has is that Phil is married, has two children and three grandchildren.
He rarely gives interviews, because he want to hide his privacy.
Quick Summary
Full name: Philip Douglas Jackson
Nickname: Phil
Date of birth: February 8th 1945
Age: 74
Birthplace: Deer Lodge, Montana, United States of America
Profession/Occupation: Basketball player and Basketball Coach
Net worth: about $30 million
Height: 6 feet 7 inch
Weight: 98 kg
