Legendary NBA coach Phil Jackson winning a championship is more likely than Shaquille O’Neal sinking a free throw.
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A top 15 coach of all-time, Phil Jackson’s resume speaks for itself, having coached the likes of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O’Neal. The Zen Master is the only coach in NBA history to have three 3-peats under his name.
Jackson has an impeccable 1155-485 record as a coach, which constitutes 70.42% of wins. The Hall of Famer coached for two decades, which included 9 with the Bulls and 11 with the Lakers. The 77-year-old coached generational talents, one such being Shaq.
The Big Diesel played 8-seasons for the purple and gold under Jackson’s coaching, establishing himself as one of the most dominant players ever. Under the Zen Master’s mentorship, Shaq learned how to win on the big stage, earning multiple rings, MVPs, and scoring titles.
Nonetheless, one aspect that continued to remain Shaq’s Achilles heel was his free throw shooting, something Jackson had a hard time figuring too.
Coach Phil Jackson’s championship% vs. Shaquille O’Neal FT%.
On the occasion of the Zen Master’s 77th birthday, social media paid homage to the veteran coach, with one such statistic revealing how winning a title with Mr. Eleven Rings had more chances, than Shaq scoring a free throw. Well, we certainly don’t wish to rub the seven-foot center the wrong way, but the following statistic may very well have done that.
In his 19-seasons in the NBA, Shaq established himself as one of the greats, terrorizing opponents in the paint and breaking the rims. However, the four-time champion had his troubles at the free-throw line. The Lakers legend shot a poor 52.7% from the foul line, making 4.9 out of his 9.3 attempts.
Nevertheless, both Jackson and Shaq have a lot of contributions to each other’s success, with neither of them reaching the heights of success without one another.
Also read: $400 million Shaquille O’Neal turned Phil Jackson’s backyard into a trampoline show
