Phil Jackson and the Chicago Bulls have a long history, starting back in the late 1980s. Their long-standing partnership brought the Windy City six championships. While they enjoyed great success on the court, their relationship off the court did witness its fair share of struggles.
Jackson began his NBA coaching career as an assistant to Doug Collins on the Bulls in 1987. Promoted to head coach in 1989, he laid the foundation for one of the greatest sports dynasties. Etching two three-peats to his credit, his Chicago tenure came to an end in 1998.
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While things ended bitterly between him and the late GM Jerry Krause, Jackson had always been a well-wisher of the Bulls. A case in point was his suggestion to (then Bulls coach) Tom Thibeadeau and the front office to surround Derrick Rose with the right supporting cast.
“I think they overachieved last year as far as record and how they got to the spots they got to in the playoffs. They still have to have some steady shooters from the outside to complement the penetration they have, and then (Carlos Boozer) has to have that post-up game that he was brought there to give them,” said Jackson.
“They just can’t be one-dimensional in that regard. They have to have those complementary pieces to assist Rose in his game,” added Phil, who had coached the Bulls for eleven seasons, including two years as an assistant.
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Breaking down Phil’s assessment
It took a decade-long wait for the Bulls to regain their status as top contenders in the East.
Nonetheless, they finally broke through after the Michael Jordan era, finishing the 2010-11 season with a 62-20 record as the top seed in the league. They had something special brewing.
The Bulls reached the Eastern Conference finals. However, they folded in five games against the Miami Heat Big 3. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade made Rose look helpless by trapping him on defense, making the loss even more stingy.
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Dissecting the embarrassing loss, Thibodeau faced criticism for overworking his starters, making them more prone to injury. The lack of shooters and overdependence on Rose as the primary offensive engine came to haunt the Bulls at the big stage.
Carlos Boozer’s failure to live up to expectations was another setback for the Bulls. Fracturing his hand even before the season started, the 6’9″ forward was somewhat inconsistent with his performances. Things only got worse when his production dropped in the playoffs. That said, fans in Chicago did have something to look forward to with the emergence of Rose.
D-Rose’s MVP campaign
Rose had the perfect fairytale waiting to unfold as the first pick in the 2008 draft, selected by his hometown team. Touted to be the next franchise player after Jordan, he took the league by storm in the 2010-11 season. At 22 years old, he became the youngest-ever MVP.
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“He shows himself to be unstoppable, and that’s a real tremendous year he had last year. And the way (Coach Thibs) used him magnified that and made him such a difficult player to contest and contend with. But they still have to have some pieces around them,” stated The Zen Master.
Jackson only meant well for the Bulls, whether it was his analysis about the team needing more shooters or his overdependence on Rose. The veteran coach indeed had deep ties with the Chicago franchise and would undoubtedly wish to see more championship banners hanging in the future.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.