Phil Jackson: 3 reasons why he found success in Chicago and Los Angeles
By Todd Dudas
He connected with his players
When going over countless interviews of players that were previously coached by Phil Jackson, one main thing that kept coming up: his ability to connect with his players. There’s a famous saying by Theodore Roosevelt:
"Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care."
The biggest test for any leader is when you’re hit with adversity. That means how you respond when players need you most, whether it be a phone call in the middle of the night or being there in a tragic moment. A true leader doesn’t ignore a message and is willing to step in whenever necessary.
And it’s not even emotional. Especially for a sport like basketball, the ability for a head coach to relate and connect with much younger players is a unique trait that not every coach can do. In fact, only do the truly great one excel at it. You can’t will 11 NBA Championships without doing so.
Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss shared how well Jackson connected with his players recently Instagram.