52 Phil Jackson Quotes for Inspiration and Motivation

Philip Jackson is a former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the United States.

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Phil Jackson Quotes

1. “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

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2. “Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the Me for the We.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

3. “Everybody has an opportunity to play a role, a playmaking role, so it makes it harder to coach. It takes a little more time.” ~ Phil Jackson.

4. “I’m not going to coach again. I’ve done my coaching, and I think I can put that aside.” ~ Phil Jackson.

5. “The problem with trading dominant players of that size is you never get in return what you’ve bargained away.” ~ Phil Jackson.

6. “You’re only a success for the moment that you complete a successful act.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

7. “Always keep an open mind and a compassionate heart.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

8. “You can’t force your will on people. If you want them to act differently, you need to inspire them to change themselves.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

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9. “Leadership is not about forcing your will on others. It’s about mastering the art of letting go.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

10. “Remember, Team, surrender the me for the we.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

Inspiring Phil Jackson Quotes

11. “The most we can hope for is to create the best possible conditions for success, then let go of the outcome. The ride is a lot more fun that way.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

12. “Approach the game with no preset agendas and you’ll probably come away surprised at your overall efforts.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

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13. “When the mind is allowed to relax, inspiration often follows.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

14. “Make your work your play and your play your work.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

15. “If you meet the Buddha in the lane, feed him the ball.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

16. “Love is the force that ignites the spirit and binds teams together.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

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17. “The ideal way to win a championship is step by step.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

18. “Not only is there more to life than basketball, there’s a lot more to basketball than basketball.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

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19. “In basketball – as in life – true joy comes from being fully present in each and every moment, not just when things are going your way.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

20. “My first act after being named head coach of the Bulls was to formulate a vision for the team. I had to take into account not only what I wanted to achieve, but how I was going to get there.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

Motivational Phil Jackson Quotes

21. “Winning is important to me, but what brings me real joy is the experience of being fully engaged in whatever I’m doing.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

22. “Once you’ve done the mental work, there comes a point you have to throw yourself into the action and put your heart on the line. That means not only being brave, but being compassionate towards yourself, your teammates and your opponents.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

23. “The greatness of Michael Jordan is his competitive drive. The weakness of Michael Jordan is his competitive drive.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

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24. “Your problems never cease, they just change.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

25. “I gave it my body and mind, but I have kept my soul.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

26. “Coaching is salesmanship. Coaching is winning players over and convincing them they have to play together. It takes a team conviction to play together to make things work.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

27. “It takes a number of critical factors to win an NBA championship, including the right mix of talent, creativity, intelligence, toughness, and of course, luck. But if a team doesn’t have the most essential ingredient – love – none of those other factors matter.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

28. “Wisdom is always an overmatch for strength.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

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29. “Basketball is sharing.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

30. “I think the most important thing about coaching is that you have to have a sense of confidence about what you’re doing.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

31. “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.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

32. “Basketball is a simple game. Your goal is penetration, get the ball close to the basket, and there are three ways to do that. Pass, dribble and offensive rebound.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

Inspirational Phil Jackson Quotes

33. “A coach’s main job is to reawaken a spirit in which the players can blend together effortlessly.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

34. “Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and over to annihilation can that which is indestructible be found in us.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

35. “I won’t coach this team next year if he is still here. He won’t listen to anyone. I’ve had it with this kid.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

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36. “If you give the future all your attention, the present will pass you by.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

37. “I don’t believe in curfews, because you can’t treat men like they were boys without forfeiting a certain level of trust.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

38. “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.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

39. “Tomorrow gives a beckoning hand – I turn my face away; I’ll not invite her to my home – I only love Today.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

40. “Edwin Markham’s “Outwitted”: He drew the circle that shut me out – Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout. But love and I had the wit to win: We drew a circle that took him in!” ~ (Phil Jackson).

41. “If we can accept whatever hand we’ve been dealt – no matter how unwelcome – the way to proceed eventually becomes clear.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

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42. “Yes, victory is sweet, but it doesn’t necessarily make life any easier the next season or even the next day.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

43. “Basketball, unlike football with its prescribed routes, is an improvisational game, similar to jazz. If someone drops a note, someone else must step into the vacuum and drive the beat that sustains the team.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

44. “Basketball is a sport that involves the subtle interweaving of players at full speed to the point where they are thinking and moving as one.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

Best Phil Jackson Quotes

45. “I’m a patient person. I think that’s one thing that I feel comfortable I can deal with – the downfall and the errors, as long as I see progress and people trying.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

46. “Like life, basketball is messy and unpredictable. It has its way with you, no matter how hard you try to control it. The trick is to experience each moment with a clear mind and open heart. When you do that, the game – and life – will take care of itself.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

47. “He practiced against Kobe all of last year, so obviously it was sweet revenge for him. We deserved that. We didn’t know who he was, we gave him up to Charlotte, we had no idea how good a player he was.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

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48. “I’m not trying to find answers anymore. I’m trying to live what I know.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

49. “The bigger your head, the easier to fill your shoes.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

50. “The road to freedom is a beautiful system.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

51. “No one plays this or any game perfectly. It’s the guy who recovers from his mistakes who wins.” ~ (Phil Jackson).

52. “Coaching is about, “How do I get people to play at their peak level?” It is a spiritual quest. And if it’s not that, you don’t have a challenge, you don’t have a mission. Forming a brotherhood and trying to move it forward – that’s what coaching is.” ~ (Phil Jackson).



So these were the 52 quotes from Phil Jackson.

If you like these quotes and sayings, then you can also read my other popular blog posts on the topics of Bill Belichick Quotes and John Madden Quotes.

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Chandan Negi
Chandan Negi

I’m the Founder of Internet Pillar - I love sharing quotes and motivational content to inspire and motivate people - #quotes #motivation #internetpillar