Despite bagging two straight NBA championships for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000 and 2001, Shaquille O’Neal still found himself at the receiving end of Phil Jackson‘s scolding. The Lakers were still favorites to win another title in the 2001-02 season, but things were not as rosy in their locker room, especially for O’Neal.
Well-oiled machine
O’Neal was understandably confused. Was Jackson truly mad at him? Or was it just one of those mind games the legendary head coach liked to play to unleash his players’ potential?
Former NBA forward and Laker, John Salley, who by then was a spectator, knew exactly what Jackson was doing. O’Neal and company were so in sync that Jackson had nothing left to do. And so to appear busy, he had to give the big man a little ribbing from time to time.
“Phil says nobody is bigger than the squad, and he’s just showing it,” said Salley in November 2001, via the Los Angeles Times. “Shaq asks me why Phil always has to keeping yelling at him, I tell him, ‘Hey, the guy has to coach something because he hasn’t coached much this year.'”
Around that time, the Lakers had a 10-1 record. They picked up right where they left off the following season. O’Neal was still dominant in the paint and Kobe Bryant was annihilating foes on both ends, as the role players were doing their parts extraordinarily well.
Jackson is known for his unique coaching style, which involved him giving his players free will to orchestrate the playbook. Whereas most head coaches endlessly shout at their players from the sidelines, Jackson remained seated on the bench and allowed his team to figure things out on their own.
This tactic worked to perfection — it prompted them to be more responsible for their actions. Jackson yelling at O’Neal was just his way to let the team know he’s still keeping a close eye. He didn’t want them to overdose on confidence with plenty of season left.
On the edge
Jackson’s hypervigilance might have been the secret to his success. He knew winning was the name of the game. However, achieving this goal, especially very early in the year, could have detrimental effects.
In his first season with the Lakers, Jackson was getting anxious at his team’s dominance early on.
“I didn’t even want to be this good,” he said. “I was hoping to get on this roll at the end of the season. By doing it now, people start shooting at you. The expectations that follow behind a lot of wins set up a situation where a lot of times you don’t know if you are as good as the record, whether you can measure up against top-notch opponents. I think we still have a ways to go to find out how good we can be.”
Jackson’s little coaching idiosyncrasies were highly effective in taming the Lakers’ potential and guiding them to three straight championships from 2000 to 2002. This feat hasn’t been achieved since, which shows how good the Purple and Gold and the Zen Master were.
To some, Jackson might have been an oddball, but the man delivered every time. His methods, though questioned by his team, were ultimately embraced upon experiencing glory.