http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1646622-in-depth-breakdown-of-phil-jacksons-new-book-eleven-rings-the-soul-of-success?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=los-angeles-lakersAs great a nickname as “The Zen Master” has been for Phil Jackson, the reality is that most people don’t even know what Zen really is.
And most people definitely don’t get who Jackson really is.
Jackson’s new book set to be released Tuesday, Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success, offers one more chance to understand the greatest coach in pro basketball history as he transitions into the latest NBA front-office guy with something to prove.
But what differentiates Jackson from experienced talent evaluators or big-name players moving into executive positions is that there is essentially no one more likely to establish a basketball organization that truly works together.
He should be more accurately called “The Awareness Master,” though the "A" is nowhere near as catchy as the "Z." Awareness is Jackson’s gift, and it helps him understand expertly when to leave a moment or person alone and when to take a stand.
It’s more often something in between the "A" and "Z": Jackson serving as a gentle trail guide for those he coaches or befriends as they move forward through life and basketball.
An advance copy of Eleven Rings reveals some new information such as Jackson telling his Lakers during the 2011 NBA playoffs that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and his further struggle with Kobe Bryant’s 2003 sexual assault charge because Jackson’s daughter Brooke, while in college, was the victim of an assault while on a date with a campus athlete.
