From Patroon to Patron Saint of Coaches

June 15, 2009
Jun
15
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What's all the fuss about Phil Jackson breaking Red Auerbach's record nine championships? To our way of thinking, he did that with the last title before Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal became the much taller, better shooting, version of Simon and Garfunkel. But apparently nobody else feels guiding the Albany Patroons to a CBA title should count toward Jackson's haul. Just because the CBA wasn't technically the NBA. Semantics.

With 10 championships of the strictly NBA variety, Jackson is getting a lot of attention today as arguably the best coach of all time. In fact, 71 percent of SportsNation thinks he'll have a more prominent place in basketball history than Kobe.

Perhaps that's no surprise, given 84 percent think he's the greatest NBA coach ever.

Where does he rank against some of his coaching peers in other sports?

squee8174
“

How can ANYONE say this guy is the best coach ever?! When you consider the talent he has had, even my 6 yr old cousin could coach those those teams to victory. Coach K tamed Kobe. You find me any coach that has taken a losing team from last to first...like Jim Leyland with the Florida Marlins...Twice. If Phil Jackson can take the Bobcats from where they are now to a championship team in 3 years without buy the best talent in the league..by DEVELOPING talent, then I'll consider him to be a decent coach.

” -- squee8174
Wembley2018
“

One thing that I no one can deny about Phil Jackson is that is always maximized the total output of whatever team he was coaching. Yes, he had Jordan, Pippen, Shaq, Kobe.....but every championship team has great players to begin with. I mean, do you people realize that he led the Bulls to 50 wins the season Jordan went to play baseball? How about his return to the Lakers? We won 33 games the year before; Phil comes back next year and we are in the playoffs where we should have upset the Suns in the 1st round.

” -- Wembley2018

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Tags:

Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant

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