Rumors

Brian Shaw on Phil Jackson pulling him in Game 7 vs. Blazers in 2000: “You know, there there's a clip I think when I I came out maybe two or three minutes left in the game and I looked over at him when Ron Harper came in the game for me and I looked at him like, "You sending somebody in for me? So at the time I was pissed, but I understood what Phil was doing cuz he liked to finish the game with who he started the game with. So I understood that later, but at the time I didn't. I was pissed.”

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You often defended Melo throughout his NBA career when he got criticized in Denver and New York. How George Karl and Phil Jackson’s criticisms about Melo land with you? Boeheim: “Well, the thing I think about the NBA is that he made every team that he was on better than they were. Whether it was Denver or the Knicks, he made them better. They had to go up against the Lakers and the Spurs in Denver. They couldn’t do it, but he made the team better. That’s all you can do sometimes as players. You can’t make a team a championship team by yourself. You have to have a lot of parts to it. His time in Denver, there were some great teams with the Lakers and the Spurs. He made them better, and that’s all you can do as a player.”

SportsKeeda

Stacey King: Back then, Jud, people could actually be inside the hotel — not outside. They could wait in the lobby, be at the hotel bar. So we’d come in, and the whole lobby would be full of people. It was remarkable. Today’s players — unless you're LeBron or Steph Curry — they don’t feel that kind of thing from the fans. They don’t land in a city and see that kind of turnout. One time, after playing the Knicks in New York, a woman literally laid down in front of the team bus and said she wasn’t getting up until Michael came out and took a picture with her. We thought it was a joke. But Phil was like, ‘Michael, I need you to go take this picture so we can get out of here.’ You had to leave New York by a certain time because the airport shut down. If you missed the window, you had to stay the night. That kind of thing happened all the time. I’ve seen some crazy stuff — and I know you have too.”

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Arguably the NBA's most famous dynasty, the 1990s Chicago Bulls, had Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and coach Phil Jackson as the three constants of their two three-peat teams across that decade. But every other player on the roster from the 1993 title team had been replaced by general manager Jerry Krause by the time the Bulls won again in 1996. Similar stories can be found looking at the Kobe Bryant era in Los Angeles and the San Antonio Spurs teams in the 2000s. "I do think talent dispersal is good," one executive said. "It's no fun if one team has all the talent. There's a throughline between the Spurs teams, they had Tim [Duncan], Tony [Parker], and Manu [Ginobili], but the role players turn over. "So OKC, yeah, Chet, Shai and Jalen can stay together, but Aaron Wiggins and Lu Dort and [Alex] Caruso and these other guys may have to go as those guys progress and get expensive."

ESPN

Mitch Richmond: “Kobe Bryant was so focused, man. That’s the first word I’d use. Focused. You’d walk into the gym—he was already there. You’d leave, and he’d still be there. Early mornings, late nights, on the road, in the hotel room—he was always locked in. He wanted to be the best, and he worked like it. People talk about talent, but he had the work ethic to match it. And he loved the game. That’s what people forget—he genuinely loved basketball. He would have hooped in the park for free. I remember he’d argue with Phil Jackson during film sessions. Like, ‘Nah Phil, that ain’t what happened.’ He’d go toe-to-toe with him, but it was always about getting better. He wasn’t trying to show up Phil. He just wanted the truth. That was Kobe. A dog. A serious dude. And being around that, even late in my career, was a blessing.”

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Mitch Richmond, when he won the 2002 title in Game 4: Shaquille O’Neal ended up talking to Phil Jackson and was like, "Yo, man, put him in the game, man. Was just tripping, man. Put the dude in the game, man. Come on, man." I'm like, "Okay." He puts me in the game. I end up getting the bucket. Robert Horry brings the ball over to me, and the game is over. I hit the last bucket. The game is over. Shaq comes over and gives me a big hug. As Shaq gives me a big hug, I got the ball right here. I'm like, "Oh, he's still hugging me." The ball is out. I'm like, "Oh, the ball." And you know who picks it up? Rick Fox. He comes and runs and picks up the ball and runs to the locker room. I tell Rick every time, I want to kill you. He said, "Man, you want that ball? I'll send it to. You've been saying that sh*t for 15 years. He hasn't sent me that ball yet. The last time I saw him was in Dubai. He was like, "Hey, man. How are you doing?" I said, "Man, where’s that ball, man?" And he’s like, “I’ll send it to you, man.” He ain't sent me that dang ball yet. I'm going to have to break into his house.

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David Aldridge: OKC’s Mark Daignault, asked by @Rachel__Nichols what coaches he’s talked to about dealing with the pressure of his first NBA Finals: “I don’t have a lot of friends I’ve never been more embarrassed in my life…I don’t have Phil Jackson’s number.”

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Law Murray: The last six times a team changed coaches after a Conference Finals appearance - 2022 Celtics (Ime Udoka*) - 2014 Grizzlies (Lionel Hollins) - 2008 Pistons (Flip Saunders) - 2005 Pistons (Larry Brown) - 2004 Lakers (Phil Jackson) - 2003 Pistons (Rick Carlisle) *unplanned lol

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Mike Miller on Kobe Bryant elbowing him: Unfortunately, he's in heaven. He's missed, man. Like, he was the best. But he knows if I'm lying right now, so I can't lie. It was an unintentional elbow I hit him with. It was unintentional. But I'll be honest, I loved his competitiveness. I didn't like the fact that my team didn't really have my back when he freaking took my jugular out. But like that's what he's supposed to do. And the NBA called me after that and they talked about I said that it's a a basketball play like you know I but we had good conversation. I actually almost went there in my free agency year when I went to Miami. I talked to Kobe multiple times. I talked to Phil [Jackson] and I almost went there because he was one of my favorites, because I love that competitive stuff, he was unbelievable.

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Brad Townsend: Rick Carlisle (Mavericks, Pacers) joins a select group of coaches to take 2 franchises to The Finals. Others include: Alex Hannum (Celtics, Lakers) Red Auebach (Capitols, Celtics) Phil Jackson (Bulls, Lakers) Pat Riley (Lakers, Knicks, Heat) Larry Brown (Sixers, Pistons)

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Gary Payton: Then I started playing, and I started feeling better and better. We were down too much in the series, and I just started saying: “Let me guard him.” And he [Jordan] was averaging 33 points at the time. Then I started becoming a pest for him. I brought it down to 23 points. And what do coaches do when they have a problem? They try to solve it. Jordan was starting to take it personally with me, which is what I wanted to happen. Then Phil Jackson said, “Nah, let me put somebody bigger on him and distract him—make it a problem.” And he put Scottie Pippen on me. Pippen is a bigger player than me—he’s 6'7", he’s mobile. And it started taking a toll on me— Trying to score and guard Jordan at the same time—it took a toll.

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“If your desire in life is to lead and to teach, NBA head coaching is the ultimate crucible,” Carlisle said to The Athletic Sunday night in his office ab0ut 25 minutes after his Pacers had dropped 80 points on Cleveland in an exquisite first half and won Game 4 of the series, shredding the Cavs’ 3-2 zone that had flummoxed the Pacers just 48 hours earlier. “Everything is at such a high level,” Carlisle said. “It’s such a fever pitch. You’ve got to learn from a lot of mistakes that you make, and you’ve got to try to learn from watching other coaches who do it well. Watching guys like (Gregg) Popovich, Phil Jackson and (Pat) Riley. I worked for Chuck Daly for two years. I worked for Bill Fitch for three years. These guys were all best of the best, Hall of Famers.

New York Times

"I know that Phil [Jackson] was brilliant, and I know that Pop is brilliant and you have to have the talent," Ker said. "But I love Pop's humility. It has always been a huge part of his persona, his values. His 'Pound the Rock' motto is all about modesty, really. When you think about it, you can keep hitting that thing 99 times, but it's the hundredth [that splits it]. It's 'slow and steady wins the race.' Everything with Pop was values-based. He knew who he was. He knew who he wanted his team to be. And it all fit. Everything made perfect sense." Those values were many, but Kerr singles out two. "His willingness to speak up on social issues," Kerr said. "Particularly now."

ESPN

Phil Jackson: Again the NBA tests faith by playing multiple games on Christmas and Easter…sacred days.

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