Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success (35 page)

A “knowing” moment:
Kobe and I embrace after winning the 2009 NBA title in Orlando.

The X factor:
After the 2009 win in Orlando, my kids gave me this hat to commemorate my record-breaking tenth NBA title.

Sacred circle:
Giving last-minute notes to the team before game 7 of the 2010 finals in LA.
(From left)
Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, Pau, Ron Artest, Derek Fisher, Shannon, Sasha, Jordan, and Josh Powell

Hard line:
Pau, Kobe, Fish, and Lamar get ready to stop another Celtics drive in game 7 of the finals.

Tears of joy:
Derek Fisher breaks down in the locker room after his inspiring performance in game 3 of the 2010 championship finals in Boston.

Happy ending:
The fans shower Kobe with love after the 2010 win in the Staples Center.

“It’s over!”
Walking to the locker room with Charley (
left
), Brooke, and Chelsea after the longest half I’ve ever had to sit through finally ended, in game 4 of the 2011 Western Conference semi-finals in Dallas.

The work on this book began during the winter of 2011–12 in the living room of Phil’s house in Playa del Rey, California, a sleepy beach town. The room, a long floor-through overlooking the Pacific, is filled with mementoes: an Edward Curtis photo of a Kutenai brave gathering rushes in a canoe on Flathead Lake, a totemlike painting of the Bulls’ second three-peat team, a giant replica of the Lakers’ 2010 championship ring. Outside the full-length windows, Olympic hopefuls could be seen practicing volleyball on the beach, while a parade of Angelenos in brightly colored exercise wear streamed by on inline skates, bicycles, razor scooters, and other earth friendly vehicles.

Every now and then, Phil would stop expounding on the wonders of the triangle offense for a moment and gaze dreamily at the ocean. “Look,” he’d say, pointing to a fishing boat heading out to sea or a small pod of dolphins frolicking in the waves near shore. We’d sit in silence and watch for a while until Phil decided it was time to get back to unraveling the mysteries of the Blind Pig or some other arcane aspect of the Jacksonian game.

Tucked away in the rear of the room is a small meditation space enclosed by Japanese-style paper screens, where Phil sits
zazen
most mornings. On one wall hangs a beautiful calligraphic drawing of enso, the Zen symbol of oneness, with these lines from Tozan Ryokai, a ninth-century Buddhist monk:

Do not try to see the objective world.

You which is given an object to see is quite different from you yourself.

I am going my own way and I meet myself which includes everything I meet.

I am not something I can see (as an object).

When you understand self which includes everything,

You have your true way.

This is the essence of what we’ve been trying to convey in this book: that the path of transformation is to see yourself as something beyond the narrow confines of your small ego—something that “includes everything.”

Basketball isn’t a one-person game, even though the media lords sometimes portray it that way. Nor is it a five-person game, for that matter. It’s an intricate dance that includes everything happening at any given moment—the tap of the ball against the rim, the murmur of the crowd, the glint of anger in your opponent’s eyes, the chatter of your own monkey mind.

The same is true with writing. Creating a book of this kind goes far beyond the solitary work of two guys banging away at their laptops. Fortunately we’ve been blessed throughout this project with an extraordinary team of men and women who have contributed their insights, creative energy, and hard work to make this book come to life.

First, we would like to thank our agent, Jennifer Rudolph Walsh at William Morris Entertainment for helping give birth to this book and nurturing it along the way. Big thanks also to agent extraordinaire Todd Musburger for his perseverance, integrity, and gift for putting all the pieces together.

We owe a great debt to our publisher and editor, Scott Moyers, for holding the vision of
Eleven Rings
from the start and making that vision real. Kudos, as well, to Scott’s assistant, Mally Anderson, and the rest of the editorial team at The Penguin Press for their Jordan-like grace under pressure.

We’d especially like to thank the players, coaches, journalists, and others who took the time to share with us their personal reflections about Phil and the events chronicled in these pages. In particular, we’re grateful to Senator Bill Bradley and Mike Riordan for their insights re the Knicks; Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, John Paxson, Steve Kerr, and Johnny Bach re the Bulls; and Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Pau Gasol, Luke Walton, Frank Hamblen, Brian Shaw, and Kurt Rambis re the Lakers. Thanks also to Bill Fitch, Chip Schaefer, Wally Blase, George Mumford, Brooke Jackson, and Joe Jackson for their invaluable contributions.

We’re especially indebted to writers Sam Smith and Mark Heisler for their guidance and in-depth knowledge of the NBA.
Chicago Sun-Times
columnist Rick Telander was also a great help, as were reporters Mike Bresnahan of the
Los Angeles Times
and Kevin Ding of the
Orange County Register
.

A tip of the hat to Lakers PR wizard John Black and his team for parting the waters as only he knows how. We’re also much obliged to Tim Hallam and his crew at the Bulls.

Special thanks to Phil’s collaborators on previous books, authors Charley Rosen (
Maverick
and
More Than a Game
) and Michael Arkush (
The Last Season
), and photographers George Kalinsky (
Take It All!
) and Andrew D. Bernstein (
Journey to the Ring
). We’ve also benefited from the perspectives of other authors in these works: Bill Bradley’s
Life on the Run
, Phil Berger’s
Miracle on 33rd Street
, Dennis D’Agostino’s
Garden Glory
, Red Holzman and Harvey Frommer’s
Red on Red
, Roland Lazenby’s
Mindgames
and
The Show
, David Halberstam’s
Playing for Keeps
, Sam Smith’s
The Jordan Rules
, Rick Telander’s
In the Year of the Bull
, Elizabeth Kaye’s
Ain’t No Tomorrow
, and Mark Heisler’s
Madmen’s Ball
.

In addition, we’d like to thank several journalists who’ve covered Phil and his teams throughout his career for their insights, especially Frank Deford, Jack McCallum, and Phil Taylor (
Sports Illustrated
); Tim Kawakami, Tim Brown, Bill Plaschke, T. J. Simers, and Broderick Turner (
Los Angeles Times
); Melissa Isaacson, Terry Armour, Skip Myslenski, Bernie Lincicome, and Bob Verdi (
Chicago Tribune
); Lacy J. Banks, John Jackson, and Jay Mariotti (
Chicago Sun-Times
); Tim Sullivan and Mark Ziegler (
San Diego Union-Tribune
); Howard Beck and Mike Wise (
New York Times
); Mike Lupica (
New York Newsday
); J. A. Adande, Ramona Shelburne, and Marc Stein (ESPN); and Michael Wilbon (
Washington Post
).

Researchers Sue O’Brian and Lyn Garrity did an exceptional job of making sure we got our facts straight. Deep bows to Kathleen Clark for creating the wonderful picture gallery, and to Brian Musburger and Liz Calamari for their tireless effort promoting the book. Thanks also to Chelsea Jackson, Clay McLachlan, John M. Delehanty, Jessica Catlow, Rebekah Berger, Amanda Romeo, Gary Mailman, Amy Carollo, Caitlin Moore, Kathleen Nishimoto, Gayle Waller, and Chrissie Zartman, for assistance beyond the call of duty.

Most of all, we are humbled by the love and support of the book’s biggest champions, Barbara Graham and Jeanie Buss.

From the beginning Barbara has poured her heart and soul into this project and lifted the book with her masterful editing and creative vision.

And if it weren’t for Jeanie, this book might never have been born. She is the reason Phil came back to the Lakers for his second run. We have Jeanie to thank, along with the late Dr. Jerry Buss, for giving Phil the chance to win his last two rings.

Phil Jackson and Hugh Delehanty
February 2013