Phil Jackson Quotes

18 Sourced Quotes

It takes a number of critical factors to win an NBA championship, including the right mix of talent, creativity, intelligence, toughness, and of course, luck. But if a team doesn't have the most essential ingredient - love - none of those other factors matter.

Phil Jackson
My first act after being named head coach of the Bulls was to formulate a vision for the team. I had to take into account not only what I wanted to achieve, but how I was going to get there.

Phil Jackson
I won't coach this team next year if he is still here. He won't listen to anyone. I've had it with this kid.

Phil Jackson
Basketball is a great mystery. You can do everything right. You can have the perfect mix of talent and the best system of offense in the game. You can devise a foolproof defensive strategy and prepare your players for every possible eventuality. But if the players don't have a sense of oneness as a group, your efforts won't pay off. And the bond that unites a team can be so fragile, so elusive.

Phil Jackson
Like life, basketball is messy and unpredictable. It has its way with you, no matter how hard you try to control it. The trick is to experience each moment with a clear mind and open heart. When you do that, the game - and life - will take care of itself.

Phil Jackson
People think I would never take on a team that has no legitimate chance to win a championship, This is one of the major misconceptions about me. Success can be measured in many different ways.... Either way, I would find the challenge invigorating.

Phil Jackson
If you give the future all your attention, the present will pass you by.

Phil Jackson
My job as a coach was to make something meaningful out of one of the most mundane activities on the planet: playing pro basketball.

Phil Jackson
And yet as a coach, I know that being fixated on winning (or more likely, not losing) is counterproductive, especially when it causes you to lose control of your emotions. What's more, obsessing about winning is a loser's game: The most we can hope for is to create the best possible conditions for success, then let go of the outcome. The ride is a lot more fun that way.

Phil Jackson
If we can accept whatever hand we've been dealt - no matter how unwelcome - the way to proceed eventually becomes clear.

Phil Jackson
Basketball, unlike football with its prescribed routes, is an improvisational game, similar to jazz. If someone drops a note, someone else must step into the vacuum and drive the beat that sustains the team.

Phil Jackson
When the mind is allowed to relax, inspiration often follows.

Phil Jackson
Yes, victory is sweet, but it doesn't necessarily make life any easier the next season or even the next day.

Phil Jackson
You can't force your will on people. If you want them to act differently, you need to inspire them to change themselves

Phil Jackson
What moves me is watching young men bond together and tap into the magic that arises when they focus with their whole heart and soul on something greater than themselves. Once you've experienced that, it's something you never forget.

Phil Jackson
I thrive on challenges, and there is no more imposing challenge for someone in my profession than winning an NBA title.

Phil Jackson
You have to trust to your inner knowledge. If you have a clear mind and an open heart, you won't have to search for direction. Direction will come to you.

Phil Jackson
Leadership is not about forcing your will on others. It's about mastering the art of letting go.

Phil Jackson