‘I Wasn’t a Phil Jackson Fan When He First Came In’

Mitch Kupchak recalled that he wasn’t a Phil Jackson fan when the former Lakers coach came in. That was then, this is now, and today Mitch not only praises him as one of the great coaches ever but also credits him with bringing out his best self while coaching alongside him.

The “phil jackson rings” is a colloquial term that refers to the rings that Phil Jackson has won throughout his career. It was not until he came into the NBA, when he became one of the most successful coaches in history.

Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson are widely regarded as the greatest player-coach combination in NBA history. They guided the Chicago Bulls to six titles and two three-peats in the 1990s, going unbeaten in the Finals.

Many people forget that Jordan had a good connection with Doug Collins and was upset when the Bulls sacked him in 1989 and replaced him with Jackson as head coach.

Michael Jordan: “When Phil Jackson initially came in, I wasn’t a fan.”

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Jordan said in Episode 4 of ESPN’s The Last Dance docuseries that when Jackson originally became the Bulls coach in 1989, he wasn’t a fan. The MVP loved playing for Collins because he got a lot of touches on the ball.

“When Phil Jackson initially came in, I wasn’t a fan,” Jordan said. “Because he was on his way in to steal the ball from my grip.” Doug handed the ball to me.”

After taking over for Collins, Jackson implemented the triangle offense. The triangle offense is set up such that a critical pass initiates action, and then 33 various sorts of possibilities emerge from that one throw. Players could do spontaneous and innovative things with their abilities, according to Jackson, although Jordan didn’t enjoy the offense at first.

“Everyone gets a chance to touch the ball,” Jordan remarked in The Last Dance, “but I didn’t want Bill Cartwright to have the ball with five seconds remaining.” “That isn’t an equal-opportunity violation.” That’s a load of b******.”

Jackson met with Jordan to discuss why he believes the triangle strategy would aid the Bulls in winning championships. While Chicago didn’t win a championship in Jackson’s first season in charge, the team exploded in Year 2.

Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson ruled the 1990s as a duo.

After Jackson took over for Collins, the Bulls established a dynasty. They won titles in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, and 1998, and in 1995-96, they established an NBA record with 72 victories.

In 585 regular-season games under Jackson, Jordan averaged 30.8 points and shot 50.1 percent from the field. Even though he first doubted Jackson’s suitability as a coach, the results proved that the Montana native was just what MJ needed. With the Bulls, the five-time MVP earned 10 scoring crowns, seven of them came under the triangle scheme.

Jordan became so enamored with Jackson that he refused to play for anybody else. Jackson would not have re-signed with the Bulls in the summer of 1997 if he hadn’t been offered a new contract. In 1997-98, Jordan and Jackson had their last season together. Jordan knew 1997-98 would be his last season with the Bulls when Jerry Krause informed reporters that Jackson would not return in 1998-99, so he made sure it was memorable.

The 1997-98 season for the Bulls was incredible.

Jordan earned his 10th scoring title, fifth regular-season MVP, and sixth Finals MVP as the Bulls defeated the Utah Jazz to claim the 1998 NBA championship. When Scottie Pippen was sidelined and Dennis Rodman went on a mini-vacation to Las Vegas early in the season, Jackson did an excellent job of keeping the team together.

In 1997-98, the Last Dance camera team followed the Bulls about. Despite the fact that all of the players and coaches were aware that their dynasty would come to an end after the season due to Krause, they maintained their concentration and made it a point to conclude the dynasty on a high note.

With the Bulls, Jackson had an astounding 545-193 record. Surprisingly, he only received one award for Coach of the Year. That occurred in 1995-96, when the Bulls finished with a 72-10 record. In 2007, Jackson was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a coach. With the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers, he won 1,155 regular-season games and 11 titles.

Jordan, meanwhile, was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009. He is the fifth-leading scorer in NBA history and the all-time leader in points per game and player efficiency rating.

Basketball Reference provided the statistics.

RELATED: Michael Jordan Refuses to Join the Knicks in 1996 Due to Phil Jackson’s Influence: ‘My Coach Is Everything, I Don’t Know What Kind of Coach Jeff Van Gundy Is’

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Frequently Asked Questions

What did Michael Jordan think of Phil Jackson?

A: Michael Jordan was an NBA player and coach. He has been retired since 2003, so he probably doesnt remember much about Phil Jackson who coached the Lakers while MJ played for Chicago in the 90s.