"Through candor and comprehensiveness, Jackson writes a convincing
revisionist take, in which he emerges as an excellent coach . . . highly
readable . . . reflects Jackson's polymathy." --The New York Times
Book Review
"Part sports memoir, part New Age spirit quest, part pseudo-management
tract . . . But the primary thing with Jackson--as with all the old
bards, who were also known for repeating themselves--is the voice."
--Sam Anderson, The New York Times Magazine
A New York Times Bestseller
The inside story of one of basketball's most legendary and game-changing
figures
**
**During his storied career as head coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los
Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson won more championships than any coach in
the history of professional sports. Even more important, he succeeded in
never wavering from coaching his way, from a place of deep values.
Jackson was tagged as the "Zen master" half in jest by sportswriters,
but the nickname speaks to an important truth: this is a coach who
inspired, not goaded; who led by awakening and challenging the better
angels of his players' nature, not their egos, fear, or greed.
This is the story of a preacher's kid from North Dakota who grew up to
be one of the most innovative leaders of our time. In his quest to
reinvent himself, Jackson explored everything from humanistic psychology
and Native American philosophy to Zen meditation. In the process, he
developed a new approach to leadership based on freedom, authenticity,
and selfless teamwork that turned the hypercompetitive world of
professional sports on its head.
In Eleven Rings, Jackson candidly describes how he:
- Learned the secrets of mindfulness and team chemistry while playing
for the champion New York Knicks in the 1970s
- Managed Michael Jordan, the greatest player in the world, and got him
to embrace selflessness, even if it meant losing a scoring title
- Forged successful teams out of players of varying abilities by getting
them to trust one another and perform in sync
- Inspired Dennis Rodman and other "uncoachable" personalities to devote
themselves to something larger than themselves
- Transformed Kobe Bryant from a rebellious teenager into a mature
leader of a championship team.
Eleven times, Jackson led his teams to the ultimate goal: the NBA
championship--six times with the Chicago Bulls and five times with the
Los Angeles Lakers. We all know the legendary stars on those teams, or
think we do. What Eleven Rings shows us, however, is that when it
comes to the most important lessons, we don't know very much at all.
This book is full of revelations: about fascinating personalities and
their drive to win; about the wellsprings of motivation and competition
at the highest levels; and about what it takes to bring out the best in
ourselves and others.
