I think the most rewarding part of the job, and I think most coaches would say it, is practice. If you have it, a very good practice in which you have 12 guys participate, and they can really get something out of it, lose themselves in practice. - Phil Jackson
The one thing coaches cannot tolerate... is the individual who grows arrogant because he excelled at a lower level and believes he has nothing else to learn. - Zig Ziglar
A coach, especially at a college level - much more at a college or high school level, than at a pro level - you're more of a teacher than an actual coach. - Matthew McConaughey
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
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
I think the most important thing about coaching is that you have to have a sense of confidence about what you're doing. You have to be a salesman, and you have to get your players, particularly your leaders, to believe in what you're trying to accomplish on the basketball floor. - Phil Jackson
I'm not going to coach again. I've done my coaching, and I think I can put that aside. - Phil Jackson
There's a lot of chatter in basketball and, rightfully, you want players to be talking to each other... But sometimes in practice, it gets too verbose... so I tried to take things out of the ordinary and make them special so they'd understand the difference. - Phil Jackson
You have to be able to psychologically help your players, support-wise, be in touch with them, so I think managing people is very important. - Phil Jackson
Build for your team a feeling of oneness, of dependence on one another and of strength to be derived by unity.
There's no perfect coach in the world. Coaches are human, too. Mistakes are made. But, fundamentally, if you're sound, you eliminate as many mistakes as possible. - Wayne Gretzky
The beauty of coaching is growing the players from the ground up. That journey continues. - Kobe Bryant
