Philip Jackson is an former professional basketball player, coach, and executive. A power forward, Jackson played 12 seasons in the NBA, winning NBA championships with the New York Knicks in 1970 and 1973.
Jackson was the head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 to 1998, leading them to six NBA championships with the legendary Michael Jordan. Afterwards, he coached the Los Angeles Lakers from 1999 to 2004 and again from 2005 to 2011. It was there he won fivemore league titles under his leadership, and with the help of the also legendary Kobe Bryant. Jackson's 11 NBA titles as a coach are the most in NBA history, as of 2021. He also holds the NBA record for the most combined championships, winning a total of 13 as a player and a coach, also as of 2021. He is the author of several candid books about his teams and his basketball strategies.
In 1996, as part of celebrations for the NBA's 50th anniversary, Jackson was named one of the 10 greatest coaches in league history. In 2007, Jackson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. 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 June 2017.