Phil Jackson was a power forward who played in the NBA for 12 seasons, earning two NBA championships with the New York Knicks. His coaching career began after his playing retirement when he worked as an assistant coach for Puerto Rico’s National Superior Basketball Association and the CBA.
An assistant coach position was made available to him in 1987 with the NBA’s Chicago Bulls. Two years later, he was named their head coach and remained in that position for nine seasons. There, he led one of the best players in the game of all time, Michael Jordan.
His disputes with the Bulls’ management led to his departure at the end of the 1997-98 season. Los Angeles Lakers hired him as coach in 1999 after a one-year absence.
Number of NBA championships that Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan won together
During the Chicago Bulls’ two three-peats in the 1990s, everyone seemed to agree that Michael Jordan was the greatest player on the team. All of MJ’s NBA championships came during Phil Jackson’s tenure at the Bulls. Thus from 1989 to 1998, the two shared six titles together.
It took them nine seasons to win two three-peat championships in 1991-1993 and 1996-1998. Jackson led the Bulls to the NBA Playoffs every year he was in charge of the team, but their title streak ended when His Airness announced his initial retirement in 1993.
