Phil Jackson

Philip Douglas Jackson was born in Deer Lodge, Montana, on September 17, 1945, and raised in Williston, North Dakota. He played college basketball at the University of North Dakota before being drafted into the NBA by the New York Knicks in 1967; as a reserve forward/center he was a member of the Knicks’ 1973 NBA championship team. After the end of his playing career, Jackson moved into coaching and gained head-coaching experience in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), where he led the Albany Patroons to a CBA championship in 1985, establishing his reputation as a coach capable of managing teams and developing systems. Jackson joined the Chicago Bulls’ staff as an assistant in 1987 and became head coach in 1989, installing Tex Winter’s Triangle Offense and fostering a team-oriented culture that capitalized on Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen’s talents. Under Jackson, the Bulls won six NBA championships with two 'three‑peat' runs (1991–93 and 1996–98), including the 1995–96 team that posted a then-record 72–10 regular-season mark. Jackson became head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers in 1999 and led Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant to three consecutive championships (2000–02), later returning to coach the Lakers to two more titles in 2009 and 2010, bringing his total as a head coach to 11—an NBA record. Jackson retired from coaching following the 2010–11 season and later served in front-office roles, including as president of basketball operations for the New York Knicks from 2014 to 2017.