“Michael Jordan used to tell me…”: 13x NBA Champion Phil Jackson listed MJ’s favorite quality about himself

Most coaches wouldn’t care about what their players think of them. But, Phil Jackson did, and Michael Jordan had some high praise for the legend.

Michael Jordan is widely considered the GOAT when it comes to basketball. The man was unstoppable on the court, had all the skills, and was dedicated to his craft.

Jordan found great success in the NBA. He won six NBA Championships, five MVP awards, a DPOY, and six Finals MVPs. However, this could have all eluded him if it wasn’t for good coaching.

Luckily for MJ, he had one of the best in the business coaching him during his glory days with the Bulls. Phil Jackson was a superb coach, and Michael had great respect for him, much like he did his college coach, Dean Smith.

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Michael Jackson greatly respected Phil Jackson’s patient coaching style

Phil Jackson is a 13-time NBA Champion as both a player and coach. He has worked with some of the world’s best and taken them to new heights. The secret to his success though wasn’t a unique tactic, but rather his focus on team spirit.

In his book, Eleven Rings: Soul of success, Jackson explains that he did not put great stock in tactics. More than anything he wanted his teams to move in a “spirited way”. As such, it was important for him to know what his players thought of his coaching style, and the GOAT Michael Jordan used to compare it to Dean Smith.

He appreciated how patient the “Zen Master” was during the final minutes of the game.

“Most coaches get tied up in knots worrying about tactics, but I preferred to focus my attention on whether the players were moving together in a spirited way. Michael Jordan used to say that what he liked about my coaching style was how patient I remained during the final minutes of a game, much like his college coach, Dean Smith.”

Any praise from one of the greatest to ever do is high praise. Especially if that person is none other than MJ himself.

Michael Jordan was initially unhappy with the Bulls’ decision to hire Phil Jackson as head coach

Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan found great success together. They won six rings in the span of ten years. However, despite all the success, it is interesting to note that Jordan was initially not the biggest fan of Jackson’s appointment as Bulls head coach.

Any young player would be unhappy with the ball being taken out of their hands. But MJ, learned, grew, adapted, and became one of the greatest of all time. In fact, he even said that he would not play for anyone else apart from Jackson.

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