Phil Jackson had a quirky way of doing things. The Zen Master famously gave his players books tailored to their personalities to get the most out of them. He allegedly yelled at Shaquille O'Neal to motivate him while allowing Kobe Byant to do what he wanted because raising his voice wouldn't do much to provoke The Mamba.
One of Phil's most bizarre tactics, however, was holding a team practice on Thanksgiving Day. Even Jackson's girlfriend back then, Lakers executive VP Jeanie Buss , couldn't wrap her head around it. Buss admitted she was at her wit's end, and the couple fought over the coach's odd off-the-court strategy.
"I saw it on the other side when I dated Phil [Jackson] for 15 years, and so when I was his significant other, I learned how to look at the team through the lens of a coach. And I remember getting in a fight with him because he was bringing the team in on Thanksgiving to practice. And I'm like, 'Why are you doing this? Give them one day off,' Buss said on NBA DNA with Hannah Storm.
"Family Dynamic"
For Phil, there was always a method behind the madness. The 13-time NBA champion—as a player and a coach—apparently wanted to improve the team's chemistry by building what he called a "family dynamic."
"He's like settle down, he said, 'Jeanie, what I'm trying to show them by having them practice on Thanksgiving, I want to establish that this is their family as well. And you have to be with your family on a holiday.' And that's powerful. When a coach can harness that and create that family dynamic, then you know you have something really special," the Lakers owner added.
Things like these made the former New York Knicks president stand out among his peers. While his knowledge of the game is unquestionable, Phil went beyond the Xs and Os and tried unconventional ways to gain an edge over the competition.
LeBron's Phil-like leadership style
Jackson coached Bryant and Michael Jordan at different stages of his career. The three had very different leadership styles; Kobe and MJ were cutthroat and took no prisoners. That said, current Lakers superstar LeBron James came close to Phil's individualistic approach.
For instance, one of The King's greatest leadership assets is making players around him better, giving his teammates confidence, and putting them in a position to succeed. Bron famously has different handshakes for each of his teammates, a relatively minor thing but a testament to his personal interest in people around him.
That said, James' leadership abilities will be put to the test in the upcoming 2024-25 season. The Lakers stood pat and never made a splash through trades; instead, the team will rely on organic development, especially from the younger players, to pull through.
New Lakers head coach JJ Redick might just need to channel some of Phil Jackson's offbeat wisdom to fast-track the team's progress.
Related: Phil Jackson masterfully handled Kobe Bryant's ego: "Do you see how Allen Iverson has to play?"
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