Michael Jordan spent the first few seasons of his career trying to establish himself as the best player in the NBA. However, for every box that he ticked off from a checklist of individual awards and historic feats, he realized that he wasn’t getting any closer to his ultimate goal of winning an NBA championship.
With the relentless and sometimes brutal Detroit Pistons daring him to score as much as he could while clamping down on his teammates, Jordan knew that he needed help. Enter Phil Jackson, the unorthodox coach who would become the architect of the Chicago Bulls‘ dynasty in the 1990s. With his unusual coaching methods and emphasis on team harmony and chemistry, Jackson was able to bring out the best in not just Jordan but also his supporting cast.
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While many admire the results of Jackson’s labor, they often overlook the considerable challenges he faced in getting everyone to buy into his vision. Jordan, notorious for his intense competitiveness and often abrasive demeanor on the court, had to learn how to trust and rely on his teammates to achieve success.
At the same time, the other Bulls also needed to believe in themselves enough to make plays on their own and not rely on No. 23 on every possession.
Phil implored the other Bulls not to pass MJ the ball
For the longest time, the Bulls ran an “Archangel” offense, a dig at how the team essentially handed Jordan the ball and asked him to save them every time down the floor. While the ploy bolstered his reputation as a big-time scorer and a clutch performer, it gave opposing teams the blueprint to defeating the Bulls in the postseason: let Michael get his, but shut down everyone else.
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After countless losses and disappointments, Jackson decided to change their approach. He knew that for the Bulls to take a step closer to their championship dreams, everybody had to get in on the act.
“We really use mindfulness for how we train — to obtain a certain sense of unity, of one-mindedness,” the legendary coach explained.
Jackson emphasized to the team that just because Jordan’s status as the best player in the game didn’t diminish their abilities to contribute to the cause.
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“I mean, in the sequences where we would go through a video, I would tell players, ‘I’m looking for players that aren’t going to pass the ball to Michael Jordan — that are going to reflect what we’re supposed to be doing,'” Jackson said.
“We can always get back to Michael Jordan — he’s terrific, and we know that. But we’ll get back to him when it’s time. Just play the game as you want the game to be played — in selflessness and in one-mindedness,” he added.
The Bulls’ breakthrough
After going through consecutive losses in the Eastern Conference finals to Detroit, Chicago finally broke through in 1991. Relying on the guidance of Jackson and Tex Winter’s renowned “Triangle Offense,” the Bulls dominated the Pistons, sweeping them in four games. They carried that momentum into the finals, defeating Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers in an impressive five-game series.
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In a separate interview, Jackson credited the offense that they implemented for putting everyone in the right positions to impact the game. Whereas before, they ran an offense that ultimately ended up with Jordan having to bail them out, the triangle offense allowed for everyone to be involved and for Michael to still shine as the star player.
“It’s really obvious what was missing. What was missing was a well-rounded offense because we had so many offensive things that ended up with Michael having to do it,” Jackson explained. “We were trying to run a point guard offense, but ultimately, we didn’t have a point guard. John Paxson was not a point guard.”
Jordan was the rare player who could do it all. However, that didn’t benefit the Bulls, so Jackson implemented an offensive scheme to distribute the workload and create a more cohesive team dynamic. With that in place, the Bulls went on to win six NBA championships in eight years, establishing a dynasty that is still talked about to this day.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 18, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.