Phil Jackson

Philip Douglas Jackson, born September 17, 1945, is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association. He played college basketball for the North Dakota Fighting Sioux for three years before being selected by the New York Knicks in the 1967 NBA draft. With the Knicks he won two NBA titles as a player, and he played thirteen seasons in the league.

After his playing career, Jackson coached in minor basketball leagues for five years before being hired as an assistant coach for the Chicago Bulls in 1987. He was promoted to head coach of the Bulls in 1989 and led the team to six championships, in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, and 1998. In 1999, he was hired as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Jackson won thirteen NBA championships in total, two as a player and eleven as a head coach, the most championships by a head coach in league history. He also holds the records for most postseason wins, with 229, and most conference titles, with 13. In 1996 he was named one of the ten greatest coaches in league history, and in 2007 he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.