Basketball Quotes by Phil Jackson

Basketball is sharing.

— Phil Jackson

The ideal way to win a championship is step by step.

— Phil Jackson

Your problems never cease, they just change.

— Phil Jackson

The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.

— Phil Jackson

Basketball is a sport that involves the subtle interweaving of players at full speed to the point where they are thinking and…

— Phil Jackson

In basketball - as in life - true joy comes from being fully present in each and every moment, not just when…

— Phil Jackson

You can't force your will on people. If you want them to act differently, you need to inspire them to change themselves

— Phil Jackson

Basketball is a simple game. Your goal is penetration, get the ball close to the basket, and there are three ways to…

— Phil Jackson

I won't coach this team next year if he is still here. He won't listen to anyone. I've had it with this…

— Phil Jackson

The greatness of Michael Jordan is his competitive drive. The weakness of Michael Jordan is his competitive drive

— Phil Jackson

Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the Me for the We.

— Phil Jackson

There's a lot of chatter in basketball and, rightfully, you want players to be talking to each other... But sometimes in practice,…

— Phil Jackson

In basketball - as in life - true joy comes from being fully present in each and every moment, not just when…

— Phil Jackson

I care about systematically playing basketball. If the spacing isn't right, if guys are standing on top of each other, if there…

— Phil Jackson

Once you've done the mental work, there comes a point you have to throw yourself into the action and put your heart…

— Phil Jackson

Like life, basketball is messy and unpredictable. It has its way with you, no matter how hard you try to control it.…

— Phil Jackson

“That’s why at the start of every season I always encouraged players to focus on the journey rather than the goal. What…

— Phil Jackson

My philosophy is that you can't motivate players with speeches, you have motivated players that you draft. That's where they come in…

— Phil Jackson

An acrobatic dunk will make it onto Sports Center. A simple, unspectacular bounce pass in the rhythm of the offense will not.…

— Phil Jackson

I probably would have no capability of absorbing a 60-defeat season as a coach. It would be a foreign experience. My whole…

— Phil Jackson

Basketball is a great mystery. You can do everything right. You can have the perfect mix of talent and the best system…

— Phil Jackson

The best part of basketball, for those people on the inside, is the bus going to the airport after you've won a…

— Phil Jackson

My dad always had this little sign on his desk: 'The bigger your head is, the easier your shoes are to fill'.…

— Phil Jackson

Not only is there more to life than basketball, there's a lot more to basketball than basketball.

— Phil Jackson

I thrive on challenges, and there is no more imposing challenge for someone in my profession than winning an NBA title.

— Phil Jackson

My job as a coach was to make something meaningful out of one of the most mundane activities on the planet: playing…

— Phil Jackson

I think the most important thing about coaching is that you have to have a sense of confidence about what you're doing.…

— Phil Jackson

Basketball, unlike football with its prescribed routes, is an improvisational game, similar to jazz. If someone drops a note, someone else must…

— Phil Jackson