“Phil Jackson controlled Dennis Rodman using Zen techniques!”: When the Bulls head coach used Zen-Buddhism to deal with Dennis The Menace

Former Bulls and Lakers head coach Phil Jackson used principles of Buddhism, that he practiced in everyday life, to keep the eccentric star Dennis Rodman in check

When it comes to the greatest coaches in the history of the NBA, the name Phil Jackson is one of the first ones that come up, and rightfully so. The Zen Master ended with 11 championships, with 6 of them coming with Michael Jordan’s Bulls and 5 with Kobe Bryant’s Lakers, including three different three-peats as well.

While his knowledge of the game was nothing short of extraordinary, what set Phil Jackson apart and above the rest of the competition is his ability to manage and handle egos. Be it Jordan and Kobe, the Zen Master was the undisputed king of man-management. However, his best work might have come in dealing with Dennis Rodman, who was unique and eccentric in every sense of the word.

So, how exactly did he keep Rodman in check? Read on to find out…

Also Read: “Phil Jackson said I was his favorite player to coach over Michael Jordan but I don’t know why”: Dennis Rodman was flabbergasted at his Bulls coach picking him over ‘GOAT’

Phil Jackson used Zen techniques to deal with Dennis Rodman.

Dennis Rodman was one of the wildest athletes ever seen. The Hall-of-Famer loved going to Las Vegas, either to gamble or to party, or be it to spend time at the most prestigious strip clubs on the Vegas strip. So, when the Worm arrived in Chicago, many doubted if Phil Jackson could control the eccentric and wild forward.

In fact, Jackson spent a large part of his life studying Buddhism and its principles, from his mentor Shunryū Suzuki. In fact, Jackson himself opened up about the same –

“What appealed to me about Zen practice was its inherent simplicity. It didn’t involve chanting mantras or visualizing complex images, as had other practices I’d tried. Zen is pragmatic, down-to-earth, and open to exploration. It doesn’t require you to subscribe to a certain set of principles or take anything on faith.”

In fact, his spiritual approach in life worked like a charm when dealing with Dennis The Menace. In his book, Jackson opened up about his way of dealing with the Worm. He goes on to say –

“The best way to control people is to give them a lot of room and encourage them to be mischievous, then watch them. ‘To ignore then is no good: that is the worst policy.”

“The second worst is trying to control them. The best one is to watch them. Just watch them without trying to control them. This piece of advice came in handy later when I was dealing with Dennis Rodman.”

In layman’s terms, he let Rodman do what he wanted instead of punishing him. While no one could fully keep the Worm in check, as we saw when Rodman ran away to Vegas during the Finals. That being said, no one else understands his eccentricities and uniqueness more than the Zen Master himself.

Also Read: ‘Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman couldn’t talk to women!’: When John Salley spoke about the initial hazing by Michael Jordan after switching to the Bulls