phil jackson

“ What concerned me most were some of the younger players eager to make a name for themselves with the ESPN SportsCenter crowd. ”

“ What fascinates most people about sports is not the endless chatter about strategy that fills the airwaves. Its what I like to call the spiritual nature of the game. ”

“ No matter how gaudy or cumbersome a championship ring maybe, the dream of winning one is what motivates players to put themselves through the trials of a long NBA season. ”

“ You're only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act. ”

“ I thought it might be useful for the players to have a refresher course on selfless basketball, but this time from a different perspectivethat of the Buddha. ”

“ If we can accept whatever hand we've been dealt - no matter how unwelcome - the way to proceed eventually becomes clear. ”

“ What I discovered after years of meditation practice is that... you start developing a much deeper awareness of whats going on, right here, right now. ”

“ What I liked about basketball was how interconnected everything was. ”

“ But after more than forty years involved in the game at the highest level, both as a player and as a coach, I cant think of a truer phrase to describe the mysterious alchemy that joins players together and unites them in pursuit of the impossible. ”

“ The best analogy I can think of is the intense emotional connection that great warriors experience in the heat of battle. ”