Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success
Phil Jackson and Hugh Delehanty





Format: Paperback, 384 pp.
ISBN: 9780143125341
Publisher: Penguin Books
Pub. Date: April 29, 2014

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Description and Reviews
From The Publisher:

During his storied career as head coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson won more championships than any coach in the history of professional sports. Even more important, he succeeded in never wavering from coaching his way, from a place of deep values. Jackson was tagged as the “Zen master” half in jest by sportswriters, but the nickname speaks to an important truth: this is a coach who inspired, not goaded; who led by awakening and challenging the better angels of his players’ nature, not their egos, fear, or greed.

This is the story of a preacher’s kid from North Dakota who grew up to be one of the most innovative leaders of our time. In his quest to reinvent himself, Jackson explored everything from humanistic psychology and Native American philosophy to Zen meditation. In the process, he developed a new approach to leadership based on freedom, authenticity, and selfless teamwork that turned the hypercompetitive world of professional sports on its head.

In Eleven Rings, Jackson candidly describes how he:

• Learned the secrets of mindfulness and team chemistry while playing for the champion New York Knicks in the 1970s
• Managed Michael Jordan, the greatest player in the world, and got him to embrace selflessness, even if it meant losing a scoring title
• Forged successful teams out of players of varying abilities by getting them to trust one another and perform in sync
• Inspired Dennis Rodman and other “uncoachable” personalities to devote themselves to something larger than themselves
• Transformed Kobe Bryant from a rebellious teenager into a mature leader of a championship team.

Eleven times, Jackson led his teams to the ultimate goal: the NBA championship—six times with the Chicago Bulls and five times with the Los Angeles Lakers. We all know the legendary stars on those teams, or think we do. What Eleven Rings shows us, however, is that when it comes to the most important lessons, we don’t know very much at all. This book is full of revelations: about fascinating personalities and their drive to win; about the wellsprings of motivation and competition at the highest levels; and about what it takes to bring out the best in ourselves and others.



Reader's Index 
Send us your favorite quotes or passages from this book.

• "My approach was always to relate to each player as a whole person, not just a cog in the basketball machine. That meant pushing him to discover what distinct qualities he could bring to the game beyond taking shots and making passes. How much courage did he have? Or resilience? What about character under fire? Many players I've coached didn't look special on paper, but in the process of creating a role for themselves they grew into formidable champions." Pg. 14


About the Author

Phil Jackson is arguably the greatest coach in the history of the NBA. His reputation was established as head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989-1998; during his tenure, Chicago won six NBA titles. His next team, the Los Angeles Lakers, won five NBA titles, from 2000 to 2010. He holds the record for the most championships in NBA history as a player and a head coach. He also has the highest winning percentage of any NBA coach (.704). Jackson was a player on the 1970 and 1973 NBA champion New York Knicks. In 2007 Jackson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. A former editor for Sports Illustrated and People, Hugh Delehanty is the co-author with Phil Jackson of the bestselling memoir, Sacred Hoops.


Table of Contents

1	The Circle of Love	1
2	The Jackson Eleven	11
3	Red	25
4	The Quest	41
5	Dances with Bulls	62
6	Warrior Spirit	79
7	Hearing the Unheard	90
8	A Question of Character	110
9	Bittersweet Victory	120
10	World in Flux	134
11	Basketball Poetry	149
12	As the Worm Turns	168
13	The Last Dance	184
14	One Breath, One Mind	202
15	The Eightfold Offense	213
16	The Joy of Doing Nothing	231
17	One-Two-Three-Lakers!	249
18	The Wisdom of Anger	262
19	Chop Wood, Carry Water	278
20	Destiny's Children	292
21	Deliverance	310
22	This Game's in the Refrigerator	322
	Acknowledgments	335
	Index	341
	Credits	355

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