Famous Phil Jackson Quotes

Absorb these Phil Jackson quotes because this man has a lot to say about basketball and life. With his philosophical approach to the game he became arguably the best basketball coach of all time. He's won 9 NBA titles as a coach tying Red Auerbach.

Brian Shaw once said that Phil Jackson will be like Michelangelo because it happens like that. When people are no longer among the living, only then do we realize how great they were.

He was one of the few coaches who is reluctant to call a time out when the other team is making a run. Although you can't deny the fact that he always coached great players, he still remains one of the greatest.

Here are the Phil Jackson Quotes..

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

"It's a journey that begins with a simple step. This 1000 mile journey, you gotta remember that each game is that step that you take along the way."

“Approach the game with no preset agendas and you'll probably come away surprised at your overall efforts.”

"The pressure is all on you. That gives you that anticipation that you gotta play not to lose. Don't do it that way. Go out there and seize it."

"I gave it my body and mind, but I have kept my soul."

"Don't try to make those spectacular passes. Move the ball and move it on."

“Wisdom is always an overmatch for strength.”

"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."

Here's my favourite Phil Jackson quote..

"In basketball -- as in life -- true joy comes from being fully present in each and every moment, not just when things are going your way."

"I think the most important thing about coaching is that you have to have a sense of confidence about what you're doing. You have to be a salesman and you have to get your players, particularly your leaders, to believe in what you're trying to accomplish on the basketball floor."

"My philosophy is that you don't motivate players with speeches, you have motivated players that you draft. That's where they come in and those are the guys that are competitive. You can not teach competitiveness."

"An acrobatic dunk will make it onto SportsCenter. A simple, unspectacular bounce pass in the rhythm of the offense will not. System basketball has been replaced by players who want to be the system."

“When you start out a ball game and the first thing they do is call an offensive foul on him for a nonexistent foul, you know the kid doesn't have a chance out there playing. The referees just give him nothing. It's embarrassing.”

"Basketball is a sport that involves the subtle interweaving of players at full speed to the point where they are thinking and moving as one."

"If you meet the Buddha in the lane, feed him the ball."

And his infamous quotes that he had to apologize for..

“We call this a ‘Brokeback Mountain’ game, because there’s so much penetration and kickouts. It was one of those games.”

"Winning is important to me, but what brings me real joy is the experience of being fully engaged in whatever I'm doing."

"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."

"Above all, you must contribute your whole self to the team, not just your athletic self."

"Playing sports is orgasmic, instinctive. If you're going to be a good athlete, you cannot think."

"The ideal way to win a championship is step by step."

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

"I probably would have no capability of absorbing a 60-defeat season as a coach. It would be a foreign experience."

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