Sacred Hoops: SPIRITUAL LESSONS OF A HARDWOOD WARRIOR

by Phil Jackson, Hugh Delehanty

With a new introduction, Phil Jackson's modern classic of motivation, teamwork, and Zen insight is updated for a whole new readership

"Not only is there more to life than basketball, there's a lot more to basketball than basketball." --Phil Jackson

Eleven years ago, when Phil Jackson first wrote these words in Sacred Hoops , he was the triumphant head coach of the Chicago Bulls, known for his Zen approach to the game. He hadnt yet moved to the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom he would bring his total to an astounding nine NBA titles. In his thought-provoking memoir, he revealed how he directs his players to act with a clear mind--not thinking, just doing; to respect the enemy and be aggressive without anger or violence; to live in the moment and stay calmly focused in the midst of chaos; to put the "me" in service of the "we" -- all lessons applicable to any person's life, not just a professional basketball player's. This inspiring book went on to sell more than 400,000 copies.

In his new introduction, Jackson explains how the concepts in Sacred Hoops are relevant to the issues facing his current team--and today's reader.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, Basketball, Biography, Leadership, Memoir, Philosophy

240 pages, Paperback

First published October 19, 1995

About the author

Philip Douglas Jackson is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive. A power forward, Jackson played 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning championships with the New York Knicks in 1970 and 1973. Regarded as one of the greatest coaches of all time, Jackson was the head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 to 1998, leading them to six NBA championships. He then coached the Los Angeles Lakers from 1999 to 2004 and again from 2005 to 2011; the team won five league titles under his leadership. Jackson's 11 NBA titles as a coach surpassed the previous record of nine set by Red Auerbach. He holds numerous other records as a coach, such as most postseason wins (229), and most NBA Conference titles (13).
Jackson is known for his use of Tex Winter's triangle offense as well as a holistic approach to coaching that was influenced by Eastern philosophy, garnering him the nickname "Zen Master". Jackson cited Robert Pirsig's book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance as one of the major guiding forces in his life. He also applied Native American spiritual practices as documented in his book Sacred Hoops. He is the author of several candid books about his teams and his basketball strategies. In 2007, Jackson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. In 1996, as part of celebrations for the NBA's 50th anniversary, Jackson was named one of the 10 greatest coaches in league history.
Jackson retired from coaching in 2011 and joined the Knicks as an executive in March 2014. He was dismissed as the Knicks' team president in 2017.

Reviews

[Michael Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first discovered this book in the late nineties during a time of great discord and transition in my life. Phil's approach to life, which embodies merging one's vocation with a larger spiritual quest, was transformational for me. His book offers a unique look at the bizarre tactics he used to build a winning formula as a basketball coach as well in his own life exploration. I found myself particularly enamored with the following sentence in his book:

"In basketball -- as in life -- true joy comes from being fully present in each and every moment, not just when things are going your way."

Digesting this passage was like having a light switch go on in terms of that peaceful elixir I had been seeking my entire life. I immediately put this principle to work and have found it to be quite beneficial over the years in staying grounded amidst today's chaotic world

I have since read this book a dozen times and consider it to be my all-time favorite.

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Every leader has weaknesses and screws up some of the time; an effective leader learns to admit that. In coaching the Bulls I try to stay in touch with the same “beginner’s mind” I learned to cultivate in Zen practice. As long as I know I don’t know, chances are I won’t do too much harm. My shortcomings are painfully obvious to me. I have high expectations and don’t hand out praise easily. That places an unrealistic burden on some of the players, particularly the younger ones, making them feel that whatever they do will never be enough. Though most players find me compassionate, I’m not a touchy-feely kind of guy who’ll slap a fellow on the back and console him when he doesn’t perform. I also can be stubborn and intractable, and sometimes I get caught in conflicts with players that rumble on in the background for months before they get resolved."
Jackson wrote this book just after the Bulls string of 3 NBA Championships…and before the second string of three more. It probes the nexus between individual performance and team performance.
"Pro basketball is a macho sport. Many coaches, worried about showing any sign of weakness, tend to shut down emotionally and ostracize players who aren’t meeting their expectations. This can have a disturbing ripple effect on the players that undermines team unity."

Jackson discusses his journey from rural fundamental Christianity to a broader perspective as well as how he learned to modify his approach despite the success he had as a player from high school through his time with the NBA Champion New York Knickerbockers.
"Obviously, there’s an intellectual component to playing basketball. Strategy is important. But once you’ve done the mental work, there comes a point when you have to throw yourself into the action and put your heart on the line. That means not only being brave, but also being compassionate, toward yourself, your teammates, and your opponents. This idea was an important building block of my philosophy as a coach. More than anything else, what allowed the Bulls to sustain a high level of excellence was the players’ compassion for each other."

To help his own mental balance and to help his teams reach their potential, Jackson found that Zen Bhudhism and particularly “mindfulness” training added a distinct component. Some of it may seem pretty far from basketball.
"…psychiatrist Mark Epstein describes an encounter in a Laotian forest monastery with a famous master, Achaan Chaa, which made an indelible impression on a group of American travelers. “You see this goblet?” Chaa asked, holding up a glass. “For me, this glass is already broken. I enjoy it; I drink out of it. It holds my water admirably, sometimes even reflecting the sun in beautiful patterns. If I should tap it, it has a lovely ring to it. But when I put this glass on a shelf and the wind knocks it over or my elbow brushes it off the table and it falls to the ground and shatters, I say, ‘Of course.’ When I understand that this glass is already broken, every moment with it is precious.”"
Jackson’s relationship with the great Michael Jordan presented many challenges, and when Jordan left (for an attempt at a baseball career) it presented other challenges.
"Losing Michael presented a major challenge for me, though not an entirely unwelcome one. What’s exciting about coaching is the building process, not the ongoing maintenance work required once your team has achieved success."

Some things in the book are pretty obscure and observations such as the one below still have me scratching my head.
"There’s no percentage in trying to push the river or speed up the harvest. The farmer who’s so eager to help his crops grow that he slips out at night and tugs on the shoots inevitably ends up going hungry."

Yet, Jackson also offers some observations on our society that resonated with me:
"Our whole social structure is built around rewarding winners, at the perilous expense of forsaking community and compassion. The conditioning starts early, especially among boys, and never stops. “There is no room for second place,” the late coach Vince Lombardi once said. “It is and always has been an American zeal to be first in anything we do, and to win and to win and to win.” How can anyone, from sports figures to entrepreneurs, possibly maintain their self-esteem when this attitude dominates our cultural mindset? Eventually, everybody loses, ages, changes. And small triumphs—a great play, a moment of true sportsmanship—count, even though you may not win the game. Walt Whitman got it right when he wrote, “I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars.” As strange as it may seem, being able to accept change or defeat with equanimity gives you the freedom to go out on the floor and give the game your all."

The emergence of the sports betting industry has changed sports since Jackson wrote this book. I don't believe that it's been for the better

[07EthanH · Rating 5 out of 5]

Born in North Dakota, Phil Jackson was raised in a very Christian home. He played basketball as a kid and fell in love with it. It was more his religion than Christianity. He played all through high school and managed to get recruited at North Dakota University.
While in college, a friend introduced Jackson to Zen. Being a Christian, he found this strange. Over time, Jackson became very interested in Zen and began to meditate. Meditation calmed his mind and helped him concentrate on things. He still remained with his faith but meditated without clashing beliefs.
Jackson played several seasons in the NBA. He played several seasons for the Knicks as well as a few seasons bouncing around with the Nets and Bucks. A few years later, he came out of retirement to coach.
Jackson earned 6 rings with the Chicago Bulls, including two three-peats. The book jumps into a time of mourning – Jordan is gone and playing baseball. Jackson elaborates on the events leading up to MJ’s return and the controversy that came with it.
The main theme of the book is the Bulls overcoming that stardom of Jordan and playing like a real team again. Basketball is not a one man game; it is a five man game. Jordan had to put himself with the team rather than putting himself above them as many fans did.
I would recommend this book to anyone that likes a good read, mainly about sports. I enjoyed how Jackson would use his Christian roots and meditation skills learned in Zen to calm himself and make him a better coach. It was very interesting.

[Ben Rollins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally found the time to finish this incredibly interesting book! Written by Phil Jackson, one of the greatest coaching minds of all time. Phil Jackson had an interesting childhood being the son of a pastor. His parent's strict parenting style made him a fierce competitor on the playing field that ultimately lead him to be a professional athlete. When injuries ended his playing career early he decided to coach. Once again, his background came into play. Phil wasn't your typical coach he took on a different coaching style that used the ideas of Zen Buddhism to bring together a wide range of personalities to work together and be successful. Phil was extremely successful winning 6 championships with the Chicago Bulls.

[Erica Atkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Phil Jackson is an important part of NBA history, but turns out I’m not that interested in his coaching philosophy (no pun intended) or his storytelling.

[Mike W · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sacred Hoops" is an engrossing account of Phil Jackson's career as a basketball player and a coach with special focus the evolution of his thinking that led to unparallelled success with the Chicago Bulls and later with the Los Angeles Lakers.

I despised the Bulls when I was younger. I couldn't forgive them for displacing the Lakers as the dominant team in the NBA. But then, Kareem had retired, and the other Laker stars were aging, so decline was inevitable. Meanwhile, the Bulls were a truly awesome team through the 1990's, partly because of Michael Jordan's tremendous gifts as an athlete and competitor, but also because of Jackson's wisdom as a coach in tutoring Jordan, Scottie Pippen and the rest of the Bulls to think as a team rather than a collection of individuals.

Jackson would be easy to parody with all his trendy Zen and native American mysticism, if only he hadn't been the most successful coach in NBA history. Some might argue that anyone could win with Jordan, Shaq or Kobe on their teams. Indeed, this criticism is mentioned in the forward by Senator Bill Bradley: "Anybody can coach a team led by Michael Jordan to the World Championship." But each of those players went through long stretches in their careers without winning NBA championships. They were performing admirably as individuals, but their teams were not functioning harmoniously together a wholes.

So how was Jackson so successful? Having great players was certainly part of it, but so was a philosophical outlook. Jackson tells us that his dream was "not just to win championships, but to do it in a way that wove together my two greatest passions: basketball and spiritual exploration." This is not the usual talk from a coach. One thinks of the contrast with Raider owner (and former coach) Al Davis, whose motto is "Just Win, Baby."

Jackson culls his philosophical maxims from Eastern thought, especially Zen Buddhism, and also from his own Pentacostal Christian upbringing. Above all he emphasizes what Buddhists call "mindfulness", an idea he summarizes thusly: "In basketball--as in life--true joy comes from being present in every moment, not just when things are going your way." This is an important insight, and seems to have been an important part of his teams' success. The ability to free one's mind from clutter, to cease worrying about what happened before or what might happen in the future, and instead to focus attentively on what one is doing now is crucial to success. Any fan can see this intense focus on the faces of Jordan or Kobe as they plat. And not just in the playoffs, but in every game.

Jackson doesn't mention the great American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson, but the two have similar ideas. When Emerson wrote, "In the woods, we return to reason and faith. There I feel that nothing can befall me in life, -- no disgrace, no calamity (leaving me my eyes), which nature cannot repair. Standing on the bare ground, -- my head bathed by the blithe air and uplifted into infinite space, -- all mean egotism vanishes. I become a transparent eyeball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part and parcel of God," he is describing an experience very similar to the mindfulness Jackson describes. And when Emerson the Preacher implores us to "Pray without ceasing" he sounds like Jackson, the Preacher's son, describing all of life as a "spiritual quest."

Jackson is not an academic philosopher, and that shows in his writing. For academic philosophers now mainly devote themselves in the US to idle debate about syntax, or in Europe toward metaphysical obfuscation. What's clear is that most of them have less to say about the meaning of life than Al Davis, who at least has a clear idea of how life should be lived. So Jackson has more to offer than most academics. He reminds us that real philosophy is not idle speculation, clever sophistry or pale ratiocination--it is essential to living a full and successful life. Philosophy is a necessity, not a luxury. And even those who despise philosophy, are really prisoners of some philosopher's ideas, without realizing it--perhaps the religious Thomas Aquinas, or the atheist Hobbes.

So anyone who enjoys basketball, and who marveled at the success of Jackson's Bulls in the 1990's and Lakers in more recent years, would do well to read this book. It is full of insights about basketball and about life.

[ba · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read better books about the glory years of the Chicago Bulls. I've read better books about Zen and other non-western styles of thought. I've read better books in general. However, I quite enjoyed reading this. It's a fast read, and very simply written, yet there's a lot to think about.

It's easier to take it seriously if you pretend that Phil Jackson died when he left The Bulls rather than ditching his wife and family to babysit a bunch of date-rapists in L.A.

[Rob Lombardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whether you watch basketball or not everyone can learn something from, “Sacred Hoops” by Phil Jackson and Hugh Delehanty. I learned so much about mindset, religion, and basketball while reading this book. The book talked about zen meditation and how important it was for athletes to do. It gave them a chance to relax and get into a good mindset. My favorite part of the book was when Phil talked about “surrendering the “me” for the “we””. I found it really interesting how star players could be unselfish even though they are some of the best players in the world.
The book starts off with Jackson in his teenage years. He is raised in a very strict catholic house hold in North Dakota and is not given much freedom. As a kid Jackson fell in love with the game of basketball. Jackson has been forced to be catholic all of his life, and begins to disagree with some of the beliefs. He starts to act out and goes to parties, listens to rock and roll, and gets a car without asking his parents. This all created a big stain between Jackson and his parents. Jackson would later go on to say that his relationship with his parents would never be the same as before. He said that this is when he first started to use zen meditation to heal himself from the inside out. He would later go on to use it with his players and it becomes a large part of the book.
I enjoyed reading this book. I found it very interesting and learned many new things. I agree with most of the other positive review, because I believe that it is a good book. An important thing about the book is to keep a calm and clear mind. I am going to try to implement this into my life. After hearing all the positive that it did for Jackson I feel like it could help me or any one out. Overall I really enjoyed reading this book and learned so many new things.

[Apronk · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy and enjoyable read, and it's written in a slightly more interesting way than most books about sports.

Jackson perfectly embodies a certain kind of American sports success that sees his worldview as applicable to all situations from the business world to reservations. I enjoyed reading his thought process, and while simplistic, his world view and perspective do show how easy sport is to turn into an allegory for life.

[Tessa Fusilero · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the book “Sacred Hoops” by Phil Jackson. This book is about how Phil Jackson’s story and how he combined both religion and basketball. I really enjoyed this book. It had a lot of good qualities and I learned many lessons. One quality of the book that I liked was how well it combined religion and basketball. He did not just talk about basketball he talked about religion. He combined the two together and made them like they were one topic. Another quality of the book that I liked was how Phil Jackson didn’t shy away from saying the bad. I think that anyone can tell the story of all the good things that happen, but it’s hard to tell about all the hardships and tragedies. For example, he tells us about his down times without Jordan when he left to play baseball, but he also spoke about all of the championships they won together. The last qualities that I enjoyed in this book was how inspirational it was. It was almost like you were being spoken to by a motivational speaker. He included different quotes and stories about himself and his players that got themselves to where they are today. He was talking about the ups and downs of the game.

Other reviewers also had opinions on the book. One reviewer said, “ Phil was not your typical coach...” I agree with this. Phil really cared about his team and made sure that they worked together and that they all had a role on the team and knew what it was. Phil’s philosophy was also different. He focused on making his team be as wholesome as possible and for them to not only be good players, but good people. Another reviewer said, “He uses Zen ideas and practices to enhance his own abilities as a coach and those of his own players.” I also noticed and agreed with this too. He would make the players do Zen meditation or activities like that. The players at first thought it was goofy, but some later learned to appreciate it.

I recommend this book to people who like both religion processes and basketball. Even if you do or don’t like basketball you will like this book because of how inspirational it is. It also does a good job of not making it just a basketball book but about life experiences and about Phil Jackson’s story,

[Adi Alsaid · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked this up in preparation for my coaching job.

Although he's clearly an intelligent man of many ideas and a deep understanding of the game, the book is disjointed, repetitive and doesn't seem to follow any real logical or even thematic progression. He doesn't elaborate when it would be interesting for him to do so and he repeats himself without adding any new insights too often.

While it has set some sort of foundation on what I would want to do as a basketball coach, it wasn't exactly what I was looking for, nor was it a particularly good read.

[Aurélien Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phil Jackson, ex-NBA player (he was twice champion, in 1970 and 1973, with the Knicks) was one of the greatest coach American basketball ever knew. Having supervised players as difficult as Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, Scottie Pippen, Shaquille O'Neal, or, Kobe Bryant, he was the one who made the Bulls the mythic team that it was (6 NBA Championships between 1989 and 1998) and who launched the Lakers into the same legendary status.

He here reveals the secrets behind such a success, and that lies upon an unorthodox view of the game. One word: spirituality.

He studied philosophy, psychology, religions, and, influenced by a deep Christian education, Zen Buddhism, and the mysticism from the Sioux Lakota, he will use this whole heritage to shape the teams under his control. Beyond the cynicism and selfishness ruling within high level sports, he firmly believed indeed that athletes are not motivated by greed or fear, not even by money, but by a passion for the game, for competition, and for their surrounding team.

From there flows a democratic view of what is a team, where players are forced to stop being obsessed by stats and ego, to transcend instead the 'I' into 'we', a philosophy fully translated onto the triangle offense that he contributed to develop.

Here's a book dealing mostly with basketball, but which also is a gate opened upon spirituality (Zen especially) and from which transpires such a modesty, wisdom, depth, that it's hard to don't recommend it enough.

[Trevor Seigler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another re-read inspired by "The Last Dance," this is Phil Jackson's book about relating his spiritual quest to his pursuit of basketball glory, both as a coach and as a player. Pretty heady stuff at times, and might not be what your average basketball fan is after (even though it's pretty well known that Jackson is a seeker in a lot of ways, one of the leagues' few hippies during the Sixties and Seventies). It doesn't cover all the Bulls' championship runs (there's an addendum for the 1995-1996 season, and the forward is written from the perspective of his tenure with the Lakers in 2006), but it's a nice window into the world of the Bulls and their efforts to not only be champions on the court but off the court as well. Interesting to read Jackson's fairly kind words about Jerry Krause, the mercurial GM, with the context of knowing how toxic their relationship eventually became (I doubt Jackson was very Zen about it in 1997-1998).

[Jmorgan1314 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this book was very inspirational and encouraging. Phil Jackson was raised in a Christian household just like me, so off the bat, I felt like I had a connection with his story. One of my favorite parts of this book was the religious standpoint. Phil Jackson showed a perfect example of how to bring religion into your everyday life. Also, he expressed how you don’t need to only believe in one religion. Jackson was Christian and zen. Zen’s origin is Chinese and is all about meditation and intuition. But somehow Phil Jackson managed to bring the idea of zen, into the game of basketball. He explains how you have to be focused on everything and everybody in that play at the same time, and practicing zen helps with that.

Now the pros and cons of the book. The first perk is that you learn a lot about the game of basketball. Phil talks about his journey from playing on the driveway to playing on the New York Knicks in the NBA. There are a lot of life lessons he teaches you along the way that could help you if you are a basketball player or not. Secondly, you will learn a lot about religion. As I said earlier, Phil Jackson is Christian and also practices Zen. On top of Zen being a religion, there are a lot of health benefits of meditation. Some of the gains of reflection include: reducing of stress, improves concentration, the increase of happiness, and slows aging. Lastly, I like the structure. This book had long chapters, but within them were headings. I thought that this was very helpful to the reader. If you are only interested in basketball and his teachings, you can skip the parts of the book that talk about Zen and religion, or visa versa. In my opinion, the first con of this book is the pacing. I thought that the book was a little bit slow. Sometimes Jackson drags on some of the stories that he tells, which caused some boredom for me.

Another review that comes from the name of Michael says a significant quote from the book. It is “In basketball -- as in life -- true joy comes from being fully present in each and every moment, not just when things are going your way.” I 100% agree with this statement. I believe in living in the moment and going with the flow. If you are entirely focused on the task at hand every day, you will succeed. But, if you are worried about a test that is coming up or something you have to do later that day, you will not be focused.
Overall, I thought that this book was informative. I recommend this book to anyone of inspiration and athletes.

[Tommy McGreevy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very good. I really like the way it was written, and I loved all of the lessons and teachings that are shown the Phil Jackson taught to his team. Phil jackson was a very philosophical person and learned amazing things in his life, and he passed these amazing ideas and teachings to his players and us through this book. I have nothing bad to say about this book and would greatly recommend it to anyone who likes anything philosophy, basketball, or cared little to none about each. It is an amazing book and I would recommend it to all.

[Betül Arıcan]

Harikulade bir belgesel olan "The Last Dance"i izleyip kitaba başlamak, çok yerinde -en azından benim için- bir tercihti. Belgeseldeki olaylara birinci ağızdan eşlik edip, aynı zamanda Phil Jackson'ın iç dünyasına da yolculuk sağlıyor kitap.
Kitap güzel ama yine de, oyuncuların yaşadığı heyecanlara ortak olmak, yeri geldiğinde hüzünlerini hissetmek için The Last Dance mutlaka izlenmeli. Sadece bir basketbol belgeseli olarak değil, hayatın diğer alanlarında da izleyene hırs, azim ve kararlılık sağlayacak "gerçek" hikayeler olarak değerlendirmek lazım.

[Andrew Dirgo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Phil Jackson is a weird dude, but damn does he coach the game the right way. This book isn’t about technical basketball, but about the soft coaching skills that let him lead the bulls to 6 championships. Sure, Jordan’s the crux of that, but Jackson’s focus on managing individual personalities to mold a strong team is interesting.

While it’s not the most insightful book i’ve ever read, i Loved Phil’s takes on mindfulness and selfless team play; they’ll help me be a better coach (despite that i haven’t played basketball since i was 7 the principles are transferable to any other team sport).

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this, and I haven't a clue about Basketball.

A book about spirituality and zen, the power of being in the moment and what we can achieve as a collective rather than as an individual.

Strong link games vs weak link games and where we fit in.

Useful lessons for work and for the soul, highly recommended.

[Jonathan Zwarych · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always been a Phil Jackson fan. I mean three-three peats how can you not. the man is a winner. his philosophical approach to coaching, sports and life is just beautiful. when he talks (or writes) you just want to listen. every word is a like an ancient scroll that's been past down for generations and you are lucky enough to lay your eyes upon. inspiring, humourous and knowledgeable

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

phil jackson narrates the audiobook (available on the premium version of spotify). in just under two hours, i listened to it over two runs. same vibes as david lynch’s book on transcendentalism but with anecdotes about bball instead of film.

[Andrew Creer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Basketball. Zen. Totem poles.

Phil Jackson is the man and a wonderful storyteller. There’s something fascinating about the mix of 90's triangle-basketball and mindfulness, and I thoroughly enjoyed this for the second time.

[Eddie Wang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice perspectives from Phil Jackson during his coaching days for the Chicago Bulls. Interesting to see how he applied Zen philosophies to the game of basketball.

[Nate Mulberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book, loved it!

[Rob Bontrager · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phil Jackson, basketball coaching legend, writes about his spiritual connection with basketball and his coaching style which utilizes mindfulness and compassion, and how it helped the Chicago Bulls and himself be as great as they were in the NBA.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite coach of all time. Love learning more from him.

[Krzysztof Czosnowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5

[Nancy Stevenson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I read Sacred Hoops while watching The Last Dance, which added interest to both.

[Rodrigo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A calming read, offering perspective and wisdom on the topic of leadership, life, and success. While the insights from the esteemed Phil Jackson come from the experiences of a head coach, there is much to learn from in this captivating collection of anecdotes and reflections. What does a team need, what motivates us, how do you acknowledge defeat? There is much to gain from the words of a man who has excelled at his craft and has reflected honestly and curated mindfully the stories shared in this book.

As a fan and participant of basketball and life, I enjoyed this book, but it may be hard for those outside of sports or leadership roles to fully relate to.

[Kalani Scarrott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, if you don’t like basketball, might not be the book for you. But if you are interested in Phil Jackson, prime 90’s Chicago Bulls, and basketball, worth it. Freaking love Jacksons thoughts on losing and the culture around it.

Our whole social structure is built around rewarding winners at the perilous expense of forsaking community and compassion. The conditioning starts early, especially among boys, and never stops. "There is no room for second place," the late coach Vince Lombardi once said. "It is and always has been an American zeal to be first in anything we do, and to win and to win and to win." How can anyone, from sports figures to entrepreneurs, possibly maintain their self-esteem when this attitude dominates our cultural mindset?

And again:

Our culture would have us believe that being able to accept loss is tantamount to setting yourself up to lose. But not everyone can win all the time; obsessing about winning adds an unnecessary layer of pressure that constricts body and spirit and, ultimately, robs you of the freedom to do your best.

[Ben Field · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not his fault, I’m just not a big basketball guy.