"I was in an Eskimo village and a kid came out and said, 'I hear you're coaching the Lakers'" – Phil Jackson shares how he found out he got the Lakers head coaching job in 1999

After leading the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles, comprised of two three-peats, there was no doubt teams would try and lure Phil Jackson to their sides. Ridiculous offers came the “Zen Master’s” way. However, it was not all about the money for the 1996 NBA Coach of the Year.

Jackson knows that for a team to be successful, it has to have the right mix. It was part of the success he had with the Bulls, particularly with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen at the helm. Hence, he needed a new dynamic duo to win more titles.

Fishing and waiting

After taking a one-year sabbatical, Jackson admitted that his family persuaded him to return to coaching. The New York Knicks and the New Jersey Nets tried, but he ultimately chose the Los Angeles Lakers .

Jackson was to be paid less than $7 million a year at the time, although it still made him one of the highest-paid coaches in the league. Phil let his agent, Todd Musburger, handle negotiations with the Lakers. He was fishing in Alaska when he learned that he was appointed as the newest coach in the City of Angels.

“I was in an Eskimo village and a kid came out and said I hear you're coaching the Lakers next year,” Jackson said via the New York Times in July 1999.

Related: Scottie Pippen on how Michael Jordan would have reacted if he left the Bulls: "He would have probably tried to shoot more and score more"

Jackson had all the tools for more titles

Jackson knew he had the right personnel to make it work in LA. He had the best big man in the league at the time, Shaquille O’Neal, at his disposal. Also, there was the rising young star Kobe Bryant, who had some Jordan-like qualities. Hence, it all boiled down to surrounding Shaq and Kobe with the right manpower.

“I thought my talents and the talent of the team could match up well,” Jackson said. “I think all these things fit together,” he added.

With Jackson on board, all that was needed was to masterfully mesh everything. Bryant saw Phil’s entry as an opportunity for the Lakers to rise and become a better team and forget their performances in the last couple of seasons.

True enough, the Lakers were finally able to get over the Western Conference hump. It wasn’t easy, but the Purple and Gold got it done, defeating the Indiana Pacers for their 12th NBA title. LA would go on to three-peat before things fell apart in 2003.

Bean was pinpointed as the primary cause of the breakup, prompting Jackson's reluctance to return if their young star remained with the team. Additionally, O’Neal clashed with The Black Mamba and was later traded to the Miami Heat.

Related: Rasheed Wallace on the problems young Kobe gave him: "If I didn't know him or didn't love him, I would try to hurt that dude"