<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Phil Jackson is the Zen Master. Sam Mitchell proudly carries a lunch bucket. Jackson has coached some of the great names of the modern era, coaxing six NBA Championships out of his talented crews. Mitchell, on the other hand, is simply trying to make a little bit of chicken salad out of a ton of chicken feathers here in Toronto. Jackson has an imperial, almost detached, presence. Mitchell wears his emotions on his sleeve, living and dying with each successive misplay. Jackson, in his NBA coaching career, has been blessed with not one, but two teams of superior talent, having coached the Michael Jordan Bulls and the Shaquille O'Neal/Kobe Bryant Lakers. Some of his fellow coaches might be resentful of such riches. Count Mitchell among Jackson's admirers, both as a coach and a survivor of the unglamorous Continental Basketball Association. Mitchell was a CBA player in the late 80's and Jackson a coach and they both have similar memories that make them appreciate the livin' large lifestyle of the NBA. "The Cockroach Basketball League," said Jackson after his Lakers had dismissed the overmatched Raptors 102-91. "That's part of the league. That's it." "I've known Phil for a long time, from back in the CBA, and I think he's smart," said Mitchell. "Some people would try to fix what's not broke. He didn't try to fix Michael Jordan, he just tried to add some pieces around him. "He let Michael be Michael. Smart guy and I think his biggest strength is that when he took over in Chicago, he had the brains to leave No. 23 alone. How many coaches could resist trying to tinker? "Michael was the kind of guy who, if you wanted him to do something, all you had to do was make little suggestions. Sooner or later, he was going to figure it out anyway. A lot sooner than later." Long before Jackson became famous he was, like Mitchell, just another guy trying to get noticed. "He was just like everybody else: trying to get out of the CBA," said Mitchell. "He coached his team and tried to prove he deserved a shot in the NBA." Both Jackson and Mitchell fought their way to the NBA, Jackson as a coach and Mitchell as a hard-nosed player who lasted 13 seasons. As far as the Raptors coach is concerned, Jackson deserves his place among the all-time great coaches because he's handled his talent well. </div> Source
Phil Jackson is a great coach if he got Shaq and Kobe to work togther thoughs three years I think you gotta give it up to this guy and even with what happened with him and Kobe he comes bak to coach the lakers.
