Is Phil Jackson the best Coach Ever??

My colleague Matt posed the question to you earlier this week: Is Roger Federer the best tennis player ever. Since I am not the biggest tennis fan, I am really not equipped to answer that. But it got me thinking... Is Phil Jackson the best basketball coach ever. He sits 2 wins away from his 10th NBA title. He's beaten a lot of great coaches along the way like Pat Riley and the late Chuck Daly. Where does his 9 (possibly 10) championships put him in history?

Let's first take into account that he's had 3 of the best players in the world to play for him. I was fortunate enough to watch Michael Jordan. In Jordan's early career (before Jackson), he was an exceptional scorer but not a winner. He didn't make his teammates better, he was just a human highlight film... Wait, that was Dominique Wilkins... But Jordan was a spectacle... Then as "His Airness" matured, he started making his teammates better and the Bulls had 2 separate "three-peats".. Did Jackson help in Jordan's maturation process? I would have to think so. I know people think anyone could have coached the Bulls to those championships. But I think that is a discredit to the job that Jackson did. He not only coached basketball, he managed men. He knew how to have Jordan act as an extension of the coaching staff. Could anyone else get Dennis Rodman to buy in and stay sane enough to win those 3 titles??

After the Chicago years, Jackson landed in L-A with a dominant center in Shaquille O'Neal and a superstar guard in Kobe Bryant. I can't remember a better 1-2 punch, so again, Jackson was blessed with crazy talent, but again... Jackson really had to manage men as well as coach. We know that Shaq and Kobe weren't the best of friends so getting them on the same page took some work. Eventually their relationship got to the breaking point and Shaq went to Miami, if not, the Lakers could maybe have won more titles.

I think Jackson is an excellent coach but he should be measured against the other greats. Larry Brown did beat Jackson head to head when the Pistons surprised the Lakers in 2004. But that was Brown's only NBA title in all his years of coaching. Brown does have a habit of making teams better, but he never sticks around long enough to win a title. Pat Riley won 4 titles with the Lakers and one with the Heat and maybe one John Starks jumper away from a title with the Knicks. But the numbers say that 5 titles are not as many as 9. Riley had just as much talent as Phil's teams... Kareem, Magic, Worthy, Shaq, Ewing, Wade, just to name a few. Chuck Daly won 2 titles with the Bad Boys... Didn't do that much with the Nets and Magic... The only other coach that I could think was not a contemporary of Jackson's. Red Auerbach guided the Celtics to 9 NBA titles. He had some great teams anchored by Bill Russell and Bob Cousy.

But this year's Lakers team (if they win) might be Jackson's finest accomplishment.. Outside of Kobe... Do the Lakers have a really great player.. I don't think so. Pau Gasol is having a great year. Lamar Odom is a nice complimentary player but this is Kobe's team. I always wondered how Jackson would manage with a team that was average. This Laker team is not average but definitely less talented than its predecessors. For Jackson to possibly win this title with this team I think is a big deal. It will make him the coach with the most titles in NBA history (passing Auerbach) and in my opinion, the best coach ever. What do you guys think? Leave a comment!!