Phil Jackson almost never went into coaching.

When his playing days were over in 1980, he followed the advice of the NBA Players Association and took a career aptitude test.

"It said I would make a good outdoor adventurer, nursery school teacher, lawyer, or minister," Jackson said. "You have to remember, I had four kids at home and I was Mr. Mom after my playing career."

Fortunately, he opted to become a basketball coach. And with Wednesday night's 99-97 win over Charlotte, he passed Pat Riley to become the leader on the Lakers all time coaching wins list with 534.

Jackson admits that he has almost nothing in common with Riley.

"We're very different," Jackson says, "but we both enjoy the competitiveness and the gamesmanship -- those things are the same."

When asked if he would give Riley a hard time about passing him on the wins list, Jackson answered with an emphatic "no."

"We have great respect for each other after all these years," he added.

After the 2004 season, there isn't anybody -- including Jackson -- who thought this day would ever come. His contract with the Lakers had expired, and the decision was made to move on without him. But after a 34-48 season, team owner Jerry Buss asked him to come back.

Jackson's girlfriend is Jeanie Buss, the Lakers Executive Vice President of Business Operations. Because of that, he kept a close eye on the Lakers, even in the year he was away. He often cites Jeanie as one of the main reasons he decided to return.

"I certainly didn't expect to be here this long," Jackson says now. "And I probably wouldn't be if I didn't have such a great relationship with the Buss family."

Jackson credits his long time mentor, Tex Winter, for helping him develop his coaching philosophy, and says that he's learned a lot from coaches he's been around over the years. He also says that part of this record is about endurance.

"That's a big part of it," he says, "just showing up for work every day. And I've also been fortunate to be put in some great situations."

Jackson is also the all-time leader in coaching victories with the Chicago Bulls with 545. He won six championships in Chicago, prior to winning four more in L.A.

When asked if he thinks he'll be remembered more as the Lakers coach or as the coach of the Bulls, Jackson wasn't sure.

"There's a whole generation of basketball fans who only know me as the Lakers coach," he says. "But older fans still identify me with those Bulls teams. I think I need to get a jacket made with the Bulls on one side and the Lakers on the other."