Sacred Hoops: SPIRITUAL LESSONS OF A HARDWOOD WARRIOR

It was great to read about the world of professional basketball. Phil Jackson is quite the character. I’m eager to read more about this Coach and members of the Chicago Bulls. Recommended for all. 📚📖📙📘📗

Here are the main things you need to know: *Amazing book *Did not want it to end *GREAT for multiple walks of life - coaches, autobiography fans, those interested in Zen, managers, those interested in leadership and/or team building, basketball fans - the list goes on - *BRILLIANT for those Bulls/Jackson fans, and anyone whose heart skips a beat hearing those words "Triangle Offense" I've always been a fan of Phil Jackson's coaching style, the use of Zen and of Native American philosophies in his coaching approach - it's amazing. I also was a huge fan of the Jordan, Pippen and Rodman era Chicago Bulls and the story telling here is so rich with that in the background and foreground. Everything I wanted from the book was in it - basketball, Zen, the Triangle Offense, coaching Jordan, how Phil came to be Phil Jackson ... I loved every page and didn't want the book to end!

I read Sacred Hoops from the perspective of a sports coach, though not one involved in basketball. I'm not really a fan of the sport, so my interest and motivation was totally on the coaching aspects of the book. There are basically four elements to Sacred Hoops. One is Jackson's personal road to philosophical development. I've read quite a bit on Zen and other schools of thought, so I found his perspective in that regard interesting. Another is a discussion of how Phil developed as a coach. I think those sorts of things are worthwhile for any coach generally speaking, because they can be sources of inspiration and motivation. The third is a history of the Chicago Bulls teams up to the point of the book's writing. That bit I could care less about. Interwoven in that history, though, is the fourth element, which is how Jackson - at least in his own mind - dealt with a variety of different coaching challenges along the way. The level of athlete may be considerably different from the ones most of us have to work with, but many of the issues Phil brings up have parallels at all levels and in all sports. I'm not going to say Sacred Hoops was some kind of major "Wow!" read for me. There weren't any parts which forced me to rethink things in my own coaching in a serious fashion. Perhaps that's at least partly because I'd already read about some of the philosophical stuff seemingly at the core of Jackson's way of thinking, so there weren't a lot of new ideas in that vein. Still, I thought it was a useful read from the perspective of offering up a different set of ways to look at things that could be filed away for potential future use or reference. For that reason I do recommend it coaches. Content aside, it's a convenient read as it comprises a lot of short sections so you can read it in short bursts as I did.

I watched the new documentary about Michael Jordan called The Last Dance. It focuses on Jordan's talent, but I was interested in Phil Jackson. He took the Bulls to 6 championships and then the Lakers to 5. He also won 2 as a player. It is a wonder that Phil has been meditating since he was in his early 20s? He has a deep respect for team work and compassion and it is AMAZING how he was able to effectively manage the egos involved in these great sports teams. I feel like it was really brave of Phil to try to apply spiritual principles in the typically ego-driven area of sports. And equally brave to write about it from such a spiritual perspective. His excellence and approach are really worth reviewing from a leadership perspective and from a human potential perspective. Thank you Phil for your courage and being true to the person you really are. Great example for All.

Purchased for my grandson and myself. Great primer for aspiring leaders. Wish I had this book when I started my career.

What a book! A must for basketzen lovers

Other reviews have covered the content of Phil Jackson’s book in depth. This review is in regards to this specific print run. This version has multiple pages that are upside down, misaligned, and in the wrong chapter (see photo).

As a youth basketball coach, former high school basketball player, and as a person who had his own personal transformation with mindfulness as a tool, this book was a fascinating read! It was interesting to see practical mindfulness incorporated into Phil's NBA career as a player and then as a coach. He disclosed his own vulnerabilities and imperfections while weaving a wonderful story of mindful moments on and off the court with some of the greatest basketball players of all time. The technique of mindful coaching stands in stark contrast to the win at any cost culture that we now see with more emphasis on the me rather than we mentality. Proof that compassion does have a place on the basketball court and there is great value in being a spiritual warrior on the court which leads to success.

I think sports are a great source of learning, specially regarding discipline and leadership. Phil Jackson is one of the greatest leaders in sports and this book is certainly a great source of lessons.

A great story, but only a good book. Really this is what I think is honest to say about this work. This is because for as much as I have loved reading about the making of the best basketball team in history from such a privileged angle and for as much as I love the man himself and what he preaches for, yet to be objective the narrative does not live up to the wealth of the content. Rhythm is probably what is missing the most, with frequent gaps in the story and a general fluidity that is severely lacking. Basically, the story does not flow as it should and often it struggles through meaningless yet lenghty stretches only to rush over episodes which would deserve to be explored in full depth. But this is from an objective point of view and only relating to the literary side of the book; personally I would recommend it to anyone and talking about the content this opera should be studied, and well, by anyone willing to coach any team in any given sport. A marvellous lesson from a marvellous teacher. Thus five stars and thus READ IT!!

Libro da leggere. Tante storie personali sui CHICAGO Bulls e grandi lezioni di leadership.

Picture this: NBA season is in full swing and atmosphere in the stadium is electric as the crowd Favorite Lakers are playing, the noise is deafening and players are all pumped up…amidst all this, one person looks unperturbed, radiating Zen like calmness and taking it all in, even though so much is at stake…That is the Legendary coach Phil Jackson, who made LA Lakers win many Championships and also molded champs like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O Neal to name a few players. That is precisely why I wanted to pick this memoir, as I wanted to know what goes inside Mr. Jackson’s mind, who helped win New York Knicks 5 NBA championships, 6 with LA Lakers and as a coach – 11 times!!! (The only person till date) As you read through this memoir, you will witness Phil Jackson’s love for Basketball as a player and also as a coach. After his team, New York Knicks won the NBA championship against formidable LA Lakers in 1971-72, the moment he has been striving for with all his heart since he was a kid. Yet after 2 days of celebration with family n friends the thrill was gone. “Instead of being overwhelmed with joy, I felt empty and confused” As he was born into an orthodox Pentecostal family, he could not find what he was yearning for, even though his mother made him cram all Bible verses since childhood. Turning point came when he read “The varieties of Religious Experience” after he read the book he has filled with a quiet feeling of inner peace, that he was longing for since a teenager. “It also gave me a deeper understanding of my Pentecostal roots and helped life the curtain of guilt that had shrouded me most of my life” what he was missing was spiritual direction as his devout childhood left an emptiness and he was filled with a yearning to reconnect with the deeper mysteries of life. To fill this yearning he turned to various paths - Eastern traditions, practicing yoga, attending lectures and reading countless books and then he came upon Zen Mind, Beginners Mind by Shunryu Suzuki which made him turn to Zen and he also introduced Zen to his players. He brought in a holistic approach to coaching that was heavily influenced by eastern philosophy. He also applied native American spiritual practices and Zen principles, bcz of which he is also referred as “Zen Master” We also get to know about his approach to teach Michael Jordan and making them play as a team and also come to read about Jordan Era and many talented players like Shaq, Derek Fisher and other LA team members and also about NY Knicks teams and the championships won under his tutelage. As Phil Jackson says “If you have a clear mind & an open heart, you wont have to search for direction. Direction will come to you” After finishing the book, you come away knowing the importance of having a balance in your life – once you have a clear mind and an open heart, regardless of the path you choose, the whole world becomes your Oyster. Read it!!! It will give you a Spiritual Direction to your life. Amazon: I got a 2nd hand book and it was delivered in a good condition.

The book cover was in terrible shape. See the picture.