Sunday was the best day of my life because i spent the day with Phil Jackson who is the most funniest noteworthy unemployed basketball coach on the planet. After his messy divorce from the L.A. Lakers, Jackson did some traveling (to the Pacific Rim), and gave some motivational speeches (to various gatherings of CEOs in places like Milwaukee and Miami). Except for a TV interview from the Australian Open, and a celebrated visit to Jerry Buss's private digs at a recent Lakers game, Jackson has maintained a low profile. But what's he doing when he's off-camera and not on the road? What's his day-to-day life like at his beach-front home near the Marina? During a brief visit on sunday, I was able to share a normal day with P.J. 6:20 a.m. ? Rise, shine, and perform what Jackson calls his "daily ablutions" 6:30-7:00 ? Meditation in a secluded alcove (replete with a peaceful waterfall-fountain and a small table-top shrine) behind his work space Both of Jackson's parents were Pentecostal ministers so Christianity was the touchstone of his life while he was growing up. Near the end of his playing career, however, he was attracted to Buddhism because he'd become disenchanted with some of the otherworldly aspects of Christianity ? the afterlife, the cycle of sinning and redemption. Buddhism contained elements that seemed more immediate and pragmatic?what he was doing with his life here and now. "Eventually," he says, "I was able to find a personal synthesis, and I now identify myself as a Zen Christian. If the essence of Buddhism is compassion, and the essence of Christianity is love, then the two are certainly compatible. Nor is Buddhism a religion ?it's actually a non-theistic philosophy. So the connection really works for me." 7:00-7:45 ? Breakfast Jackson's breakfasts are his own concoctions and always prepared from scratch. Among his favorites are an oatmeal-combo with over ten ingredients (including flax seeds and wheat germ), and a summer-time dish of granola, blueberries, and sliced papaya all a glop in a base of goat yogurt. But this morning, P.J. composes his piece de resistance ?buttermilk pancakes with more ingredients than can be tracked. To facilitate the separating of the yolks from the whites, Jackson makes sure to leave the eggs out overnight. (On the rare occasions when he forgets to do this, he'll warm the eggs in the pocket of his early-morning sweat suit.) While the first side of each "cake" is frying, PJ deftly drops blueberries with sufficient force to break through the outer surface and be imbedded in the middle. It then becomes a matter of honor to be able to neatly flip each cake without creating unseemly fissures. Whatever the meal, there's always toast and butter, along with his favorite cherry jam that's imported from Montana. As he putters around the kitchen, Jackson also washes each pot, pan and utensil immediately after it's used. At the same time, he catches up on the news by listening to the local National Public Radio station. Jackson's meticulous concern over what might seem to be insignificant details are exactly what makes his breakfasts delicious, and his basketball teams incredibly well prepared. 7:45-8:30 ? Responding to e-mails He receives upwards of twenty per day, mostly personal messages. Business connections are usually made through his agent. Jackson is extremely loyal to his legion of long-time friends and does what he must to always stay in touch. 8:30-9:15 ? Taking care of business Calls to his agent, schmoozing with friends, reconnoitering the scene at the beach from the balcony. Bicyclists zip along a concrete path running midway between the house and the shore-line. Off to the right, a crew from USC rows along a nearby canal. Dogs scamper through the sand. Couples walk hand in hand. But the busiest doings occur on a volleyball court set up in the sand just a long jumpshot away. Here's where Dave Selsnick, one of the game's most prominent coaches, has established his classroom. "He's down here to escape the crowds in Manhattan Beach," says Phil. "Beach volleyball is a nice game played by nice people, with only an occasional yahoo? Hey, look at the kid in the red shorts. He's got great hops." While Selsnick drills red shorts and his buddy, a pair of young women are engaged in various warm-up exercises that feature short dashes, one-footed changes of directions, and strenuous tossings of a medicine ball. Jackson identifies them as Kerri Walsh and Misty May, gold medal winners in Athens. They're currently training for a beach volleyball tournament in Switzerland, Jackson notes, and they each earn about $250K per annum. "I wish that NBA players would all work as hard in practice as Kerri and Misty do," says Jackson. Selsnick shouts instructions. Dogs bark. Children laugh. From overhead, the muted roaring of planes taking off from nearby LAX. But the ocean dominates every sight and sound as it gathers to explode on the beach, and then just as swiftly withdraws. The ocean ?with its intimations of both eternity and mortality. "It's the ocean," says Phil, "that keeps me humble." 9:15-10:15 ? Exercise and a shower Back in 1969, late in his second season with the New York Knicks, Jackson suffered a herniated disc. In those days, the curative procedure was a spinal fusion. Jackson's recuperation required him to be immobilized for several weeks, but he did return to play another ten seasons with the Knicks and the Nets. Unfortunately, roughly 20 years after the surgery, the fusion began to disintegrate. That's why Jackson so frequently walks with a limp. Since his discomfort prohibits most weight-bearing exercise, Jackson gets his cardio-sweat via a daily 45-minute session on a recumbent bike that's stored downstairs in the vestibule. While he's pedaling, Jackson loves to read ?anything from Allan Furst's latest WWII spy adventure to the Lewis & Clark journals. 10:15-10:45 ? More business Jackson is in great demand as a public speaker, and he takes each appearance with great seriousness: "I talk to large groups of corporate executives about how to bring disparate groups of people together and motivate them to achieve realistic goals. How to slow down and deal with high stress-levels. Team roles and teamwork. It's not so different than coaching an NBA team." 10:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ? A visit to 826 L.A. This is a privately-supported program designed to enrich the lives of low-income at-risk high-schoolers. The after-school classrooms are built in a renovated police station (the jail cells have been kept intact in the basement) and are designed for comfort and a non-institutional ambiance. A corps of dedicated volunteer tutors work to enhance the tools through which the kids can express themselves. Just the week before, Spike Lee had conducted a hands-on workshop and the resulting video was a model of individual talents coordinated to achieve a group goal. Phil is there to meet with some of the staff and coordinate another project?helping the kids to write essays that reflect their personal attitudes about inheriting (and surviving in) a world that's so full of violence. Jackson's immediate task is to write a foreward to the soon-to-be published collection of these essays. (A similar project was completed last year by 826 Valencia, a sister organization situated in San Francisco. The foreward to that collection, Waiting to be Heard, was written by Isabel Allende. The young contributors also compose their own identifying blurbs. Here's my favorite: "Richard L. Cheung can differentiate very well between fiction and reality, but only in his dreams.") 12:30-1:45 ? Lunch Jackson and I squeeze into a 2003 Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG that has ample head room, but fits tightly around his hips. He also owns but rarely drives a BMW motorcycle, and shares the use of a Cadillac Esplanade with his son Ben. Whatever vehicle he chooses, P.J. hardly ever uses the same route to get from Point A to Point B. His restaurants of choice tend to be small and out-of-the-way. This afternoon's repast is at La Paz ? featuring Mexican food served in plentiful, tasty, and inexpensive portions. 1:45-3:00 ? Back home for more business calls, and then a siesta Nap time is a holdover from his game-day routine during his playing career. And as he closes in on his sixtieth birthday (9/17), Jackson appreciates a refreshing bit of down time. 3:00?3:35 ? Phone conversation with an administrator of the Positive Coaching Alliance This is a national organization that promotes supportive and non-confrontative methods of coaching young athletes in hopes of overcoming the "win-at-all-costs" mentality that has driven so many young people away from competitive sports. Phil is the PCA's national spokesperson, while Larry Brown, Bill Bradley, Dean Smith, and Herm Edwards are other high-profile members of the National Advisory Board. In the seven years since its establishment, the PCA has conducted more than 1,000 workshops for 40,000 coaches and parents that have helped create a positive sports environment for over 400,000 young athletes. Jackson is passionately committed to the organization and makes numerous appearances at various workshops, clinics, and at various functions that seek to enlist both corporate partnerships and sponsorships. 3:35-4:55 ? Grocery shopping Phil drives the Cadillac to the local maxi-mart. Topping his modest list is wine, fresh halibut ("... for the hell of it," he jests), plus more dinner and breakfast fixings. He shakes his head in wonderment when five bags of groceries cost nearly three-hundred dollars. 4:55-5:20 ? More telephone time and catch-up on messages 5:20-6:25 ? Food preparation On the menu is poached halibut in a cheddar sauce ?augmented by steamed carrots and leeks, along with a cheesy polenta loaf. Phil does all the dicing, rinsing, and measuring ? he never uses a recipe ? but the thankful guest is happy to grate the cheese. 6:25-7:30 ? Dinner and cleanup Jeanie Buss lives only a few houses away, but she's nursing a cold and reluctantly declines the invitation. Ben is one of P.J.'s five offspring. At age 26, Ben works as a grant-writer and is also working his way through a masters of fine arts degree, with a specialty in poetry. Ben is shy, sensitive, personable and talented. He lives in the downstairs apartment and is usually on hand whenever P.J. makes dinner. The conversation centers on various literary topics: Whether or not modern fiction is best-served when written in the first- or the third-person. William Blake's dictum that a writer can be effectively judged by the quality of what he self-edits. And the difference between writing from the heart and writing from the intellect. I was delighted to rinse and load any remaining dishes in the dish washer. 7:30-10:30 ? Watching the Lakers lose to the Wizards Phil loves electronic gizmos?none more than his TiVo. As he watches and re-watches the game, he bemoans the Lakers' lack of a power-player. He also tsk-tsks when Chucky Atkins forces an entry pass from a poor angle. Yet he's remarkably uncritical as the Lakers go down to another defeat. As far as the Wizards are concerned, he likes Brendan Haywood, Jared Jeffries, and Gilbert Arenas ("who's learning not to be so selfish"), plus he commends the job being done by Eddie Jordan. P.J. also stops the action to explain some of Washington's plays: "When he spins like that, there's a strong side down-pick and pop. If there's no shot forthcoming, then there's another screen for the ball-handler and the ball is reversed again." Most of Jackson's replays are meant to examine referees' calls. "Look at it, he changed his pivot foot twice and nobody saw it. The refs just don't pay attention to stuff like that." Chris Mihm receives the ball in the pivot and passes to Kobe cutting along the baseline. Kobe next moves the ball to Atkins, who bags a jumper ?and the TV announcer wildly praises Kobe's unselfishness. "Actually,"Jackson points out, "that wasn't such a big deal. What happened is what's supposed to happen on that play." Even so, Jackson is quick to identify Kobe as "the best player in the league." Frank Hamblen looks stunned as the score mounts, prompting P.J. to say, "His expertise is unmatched in the entire league. Plus Frank is a great communicator. But he's literally in a no-win situation." Does all this hoops-talk indicate that Jackson misses NBA action and longs to return to the command seat? Not at all. He follows the declining fortunes of the Lakers whenever he can for several reasons: Curiosity; an interest in Jeanie's source of income, and a sense of loyalty to the players he's coached who are still on the squad ?Brian Cook, Devean George, Slava Medvedenko, Luke Walton, and Kobe. His continuing friendship with assistant coaches Kurt Rambis and Brian Shaw. And, although circumstances and protocol keeps P.J. from having personal contact with Hamblen, the two have worked amicably together for the past eight seasons. If his interest in the Lakers hasn't flagged, Jackson has virtually ignored the doings of every other team in the league. That's the best indication, for the moment, that Jackson isn't sure whether or not he wants to coach in the NBA. "My life is my own," he says. "No practice sessions to attend, no videos to study, etcetera. And I love it. All I can say is that my competitive nature will, sooner rather than later, need some sort of focus. Some project to arouse my passion. Maybe it'll be coaching the Lakers once again. Anyway, I also like the chance to get to bed early on a game night." 10:30- Phil says good night as if i werent a sleep while the lakers were boring me to death.
<u>Credit > Charley Rosen / Special to FOXSports.com</u> Chris Mihm receives the ball in the pivot and passes to Kobe cutting along the baseline. Kobe next moves the ball to Atkins, who bags a jumper ?and the TV announcer wildly praises Kobe's unselfishness. "Actually,"Jackson points out, "that wasn't such a big deal. What happened is what's supposed to happen on that play." Even so, <u>Jackson is quick to identify Kobe as "the best player in the league</u>." Good post man. Phil has been much missed and will be well welcomed on a LA laker return.
Yeah guys Phil might be a zen freak but lets face it, he lost control of the falling lakers this past season but i think it will be alright if kobe is the main guy not the fat slob named shaqueefa fatty o'neal
