Mindgames: Phil Jackson's Long Strange Journey

The book definitely discusses in detail, Phil Jackson's zen/indian philiosophies and techniues, and his propensity to use such things to create champions. Other interesting areas include his background coaching in a turbulent, out of control south American league, where drunken fights in the stands were the norm and bullets weren't restricted to the stands. Discussions of his idiosyncracies as a player, and the mentoring he received as a coach, especially when learning/incorporating the triangle offense, are also definitely worth a read.The books discussions of his behind-the-scenes experience with management, in team meetings, and on the tour bus reveal him as an expert in "playing politics." Despite its somewhat negative connotation, his "Mind Games" (also the book's title) appear ro have contributed to his tremendous professional success (NBA Championship rings). However, his somewhat antagonisitic actions towards team ownership and media have left him with a somewhat questionable reputation. The book discusses this in detail. For example, without provocation, he once kicked a reporter off the team bus, leaving her stranded, and regularly exiled the team's owner from meetings). The book explains the rationale for these actions. Jackson sees "team solidarity" as a crucial aspect of "building the team spirit" and allowing it to grow. In addition, the book is fairly current and details his brief, ongoing career with the Lakers, revealing some surprisingly esoteric insights about the team and his role in it. His unorthodox, yet wildly successful NBA coaching career make this an interesting and thoughtful read. However, this review ranks the book four stars out of five, simply because the book's meticulously long discussions seasons' worth of quasi-important matches on the hardwood floor becomes a bit redundant and irrelevant(playoff/championship games excluded).But if you're a basketball fan, a Lakers' fan, a Bulls' fan, or are simply intrigued by the man and his phenomenally successful, yet wholistically unorthodox approach to life, interpersonal relations, and success, this book comes highly recommended.Rob Rumsey

This is an excellent read about a different drummer. I'm a Lakers fan, but Bulls fans will like it just as much.

Having always been intrigued by Phil Jackson as a coach and a person, I was thrilled to see that an account of his interesting career and life had been published. Being a coach myself, I had always wanted to find how this living legend's mind works and maybe try to apply some of his ideas/concepts to my coaching. That was the reason that I had devoured "Sacred Hoops" as soon as it came out back in 95-96.I was also excited to see "the value" that the book offers: 400 pages..."Not bad" I thought, and I went ahead and ordered the book right away! The content of the book did not disappoint me one bit. It is nicely structured (chronologically) and it gives quite an insight and quite a few details of Jackson's life. Usually a slow reader, I breezed through this nicely written piece of work by Lazenby. I especially enjoyed the quotes from interviews and informal discussions that either Jackson himself or people he was associated with had given in the past. I also really liked the fact that the book includes Jackson's first season in LA. I think this adds tremendous value to the book: it makes its publishing a lot more timely and therefore more appealing. My only couple of concerns with this publication are the following: a) The book seems to repeat itself at times mentioning the same thing over and over maybe from a different perspective but the same information/idea none-the-less. I apologize for not having a good example of this handy, but I wasn't taking notes while I was reading... b) The book is a little too "superficial" for my taste. Jackson is such a complicated and unique person and I think this book makes little or no attempt to try and "decipher" him. I am not sure, however, that that was even the intent of the author to begin with. Maybe all Lazenby wanted to do was give an account of Jackson's life and not really try to judge/critique his coaching techniques or philosophies. Regardless, I felt that since the author seems to "know" Jackson so well, he should have tried to offer an opinion on some of the controversial decisions in his personal or professional life.Overall, I'd say that anyone interested in Jackson should get this book. Lazenby gives you an objective account of Jackson's life (the good AND the bad; unlike many autobiographies...) and one will have a great time reading through the stories and looking at the pictures.Should a basketball (or other) coach get the book though in order to maybe "gain some coaching knowledge"? I wouldn't think so...

Phil Jackson is one of the most complex figures in the history of American professional sports. Widely adored and held in the highest of esteem by fans in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and the world over, Jackson has built a career on finding success through a variety of unconventional approaches. Interpreting his actions and discerning his motives could easily prove a daunting task for any biographer. If anything redeems this effort, it is the insight offered by Tex Winter himself, who has granted me numerous candid interviews over the past half dozen seasons. Long known for his frankness about the high-priced stars he coaches, Winter has taken the same approach with his own boss. He admires Jackson yet never hesitates to criticize him. Jackson, for his part, seems to accept this criticism as part of his relationship with his mentor. In fact, the coach clearly relies on Winter's frankness, never mind that it frequently annoys him. "Phil would like to control me," Winter offered during an interview in February 2000. "But he knows he can't." Jackson has complained privately that I somehow duped Winter into providing inside detail for my 1998 book about the Bulls, "Blood On The Horns." Yet it was Jackson himself who volunteered most of the truly sensitive information during our interviews. It was Jackson who told me of the bathroom battles between Michael Jordan and Bulls VP Jerry Krause. And it was Jackson who revealed Scottie Pippen's drunken verbal assault on Krause on a team bus in Seattle that year. I've interviewed Jackson several times over the years and have always found him to be forthcoming about events, even when the information he provides casts himself in a negative light. By no means is this an authorized biography. As much as Jackson would prefer that I not write it, he has taken no steps to restrict my access to his team or to people who might provide information about him. As a result, Winter has offered some refreshing insight into a complicated figure. I have also drawn heavily on Jackson's own published works, especially his first autobiography, "Maverick, More Than A Game," a rawer, more daring account of his early life than his 1995 title "Sacred Hoops" provided. Beyond Winter and Jackson's own works, my effort was aided immensely by a host of interviews and published material. When all was said and done, Tex Winter read the manuscript and declared that it was excellent. Tough but excellent. For Winter's help and guidance, I'm immensely thankful.