445 Quotes by Phil Jackson

My philosophy is that you can't motivate players with speeches, you have motivated players that you draft. That's where they come in and those are the guys that are competitive. You cannot teach competitiveness.

I have been involved in a lot of wild ones. That one was right up there.

What moves me is watching young men bond together and tap into the magic that arises when they focus with their whole heart and soul on something greater than themselves. Once you've experienced that, it's something you never forget.

I have my hopes as to how we can grow as a basketball club,

Kobe was hell-bent on surpassing Jordan as the greatest player in the game. His obsession with Michael was striking. When we played in Chicago that season, I orchestrated a meeting between the two of them, thinking that Michael might help shift Kobe’s attitude toward selfless teamwork. After they shook hands, the first words out of Kobe’s mouth were, ‘You know I can kick your ass one on one.’

I felt like they were frustrated and they have a reason to be frustrated. Things didn't happen for them and it's a frustrating thing for these young kids.

I think people forgot that there are still ways you can get the ball inside rather than just standing there and throwing the ball in. You have to have a system that makes all things work.

I feel very comfortable saying I more than likely will not come back and coach, ... The health issue is very important.

Yes, victory is sweet, but it doesn't necessarily make life any easier the next season or even the next day.