Phil Jackson had the smile of a man who knew a secret.
We all knew it too.
And even if his opponents won’t ever admit it, deep down they knew it as well.
If the road to an NBA championship can be compared to one very long knife fight, than having Jackson on the bench was the equivalent of the Lakers showing up not with a knife, but with a gun.
That advantage is now gone but hopefully the lessons that Jackson taught are not.
The quiet confidence, the measured tones, the consistent and deliberate message of teamwork, effort, sacrifice and of remembering to stay in the moment are things that have come to define Jackson and the teams which he has coached.
Other coaches have taught the same, but where they failed Jackson succeeded.
His firm belief that, in the end, win or lose, good or bad, everything works out the way it is supposed to, is what separated him from other coaches.
There is always value in a loss.
There is always value in change and rebirth.
This Lakers team had run its course. They had gone as far as they were going to go and the weight of reaching their fourth Finals in four years had finally caused them to buckle.
As he walks away from Los Angeles, Phil Jackson has given us more than we ever could have asked. His five championships match Pat Riley and the Showtime era. He has poked and prodded Bryant to reach his potential and in so doing has left Bryant on the brink of matching Michael Jordan and six NBA titles. And finally, most importantly, he has given the Lakers a gift that will get them through the uncertain times which lie ahead.
Change is coming and there’s a chance that it may not work out as the Laker or their fans hope.
But if we stay in the moment, if we don’t allow our thoughts and fears to get the best of us, if we remain calm and smile in the face of adversity, “then every little thing is gonna be alright! Singing, don’t worry about a thing!”
I, for one, hope the Zen never ends.
