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Lakers Kobe Bryant bumps chests with Shaquille O’Neal after O’Neal got fouled scoring in the first half during the First Round of the Western Conference Playoffs at Staples Center Sunday April 21, 2002.Trailblazer Damon Stoudamire looks on from the left. Lakers won 9587. (Photo by Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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Lakers Kobe Bryant bumps chests with Shaquille O’Neal after O’Neal got fouled scoring in the first half during the First Round of the Western Conference Playoffs at Staples Center Sunday April 21, 2002.Trailblazer Damon Stoudamire looks on from the left. Lakers won 9587. (Photo by Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
With the 75th anniversary of the NBA, some of the greatest players have got their fruits. However, the NBA did not forget about their coaches. Recently, they revealed the list of 15 of the best NBA coaches. Unsurprisingly, Phil Jackson was a part of that list. Shaquille O’Neal spoke about Phil and how he helped him become a championship type of player.
While on NBA on TNT, Shaq explained how Phil handed him the blueprint to “be a champion”.
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"He… gave me the blueprint on how to be a champion."@SHAQ reflects on playing for Phil Jackson after he was named one of the 15 greatest coaches in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/IniHMfuTk8
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 9, 2022
Phil Jackson is one of the most renowned coaches in the NBA. He saw success both as a player and as a coach. While his championships with the Knicks go under the cover, his achievements as a coach are too great. Notably, he became the brains behind two of the most dominating dynasties in NBA history.
The man behind Shaquille O’Neal supremacy
With Phil coming in as one of the 15 greatest coaches in NBA history, a former player of his, Shaq spoke about the mastermind. He explained how Phil was fair and was a player’s coach more than anything else. Shaq learned a lot from him and even passed it down to a young Dwyane Wade in Miami.
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Shaq said: “Being with him, I made up the famous quote ‘If the general doesn’t panic, the troops don’t panic’. I play for a lot of coaches where it gets real tight, they start panicking, But Phil would always just look at us and say ‘I’m not going to bail you out, do what you do’. And it was great to play for him.”
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Los Angeles Lakers Shaquille O’Neal, left, shares a laugh with Kobe Bryant on the bench during a preseason game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim Thursday, October 23, 2003. (Photo by Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Jackson was a mastermind like no other. He helped Michael Jordan in getting his six rings to a point where MJ refused to play under any other coach. Moreover, he was also a part of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant’s three peat with the Lakers. The legendary coach won 11 championships in his coaching career with the Bulls and Lakers. Hence, there is no doubt Phil deserves to be on the list of the greatest coaches in NBA history.
Do you think Shaquille O’Neal would have won his championships without Phil Jackson? Let us know in the comments below.
