#1 Book Notes and Quotes - 11 Rings by Phil Jackson
These book notes are split up into three parts: Quotes, Mental Practices, and Coaching Practices. If you’re an athlete, check out the quotes and mental practices. If you’re a coach, check out the quotes and coaching practices. If you’re a beast, do all three.
This is one of the best books I’ve ever read. I seriously couldn’t put it down. I’ve put my $.02 in after the quotes to help guide you towards mastery using my knowledge from Performance Psychology, team consulting, and 1-on-1 coaching. You can buy the book on amazon here. It’s worth every penny.
Mental Practices
“Early in the season, the players had created a chant they would shout before each game, their hands joined together in a circle. One, two, three, RING!” - Phil Jackson
Is this confident or cocky? My answer: Confident, it helps drive energy, attention, and focus in the direction you want.
“Unlike Shaq, who was plagued with self-doubt.” - Phil Jackson
Even Shaq, one of the GOATs, experienced self-doubt regularly.
“Kobe and Fish kicked off the first day of training camp with a speech about how the upcoming season would be a marathon, not a sprint, and how we needed to focus on meeting force with force and not allowing ourselves to be intimidated by physical pressure.” - Phil Jackson
The PLAYERS started the year with a speech, not the coaches. We want to go from coach fed to PLAYER LED.
“Though mindfulness meditation has its roots in Buddhism, it’s an easily accessible technique for quieting the restless mind and focusing attention on whatever is happening in the present moment.” - Phil Jackson
If you aren’t meditating, you’re doing yourself, your team, and your fans a HUGE disservice.
“Another lesson I learned was about the importance of pregame rituals… this is not a good time for deep left-brain discussions. It’s the moment to calm the players’ minds and strengthen their spiritual connection with one another before they head into battle.” - Phil Jackson
Pregame rituals are to help get the players into a relaxed body and calm mind state (where we play our best). What’s yours? Do you have it written down?
“I was especially intrigued by Goldsmith’s take on meditation, which he saw as a way to experience inner silence and plug into your intuitive wisdom.” - Phil Jackson
Meditate… meditate… meditate…
How to meditate:
“Sit with your spine straight, your shoulders relaxed, and your chin pulled in, ‘as if you were supporting the sky with your head.”
“Follow your breath with your mind as it moves in and out like a swinging door.”
“Don’t try to stop your thinking. If a thought arises, let it come, then let it go and return to watching your breath. The idea is not to try to control your mind but to let thoughts rise and fall naturally over and over again. After some practice, the thoughts will start to float by like passing clouds and their power to dominate consciousness will diminish.”
“…the first coach I knew who had his players double-team inbound passers at half-court, a high-risk move that often paid off. He also adopted Hubie Brown’s ploy of double-teaming the ball handler and made it a regular part of the defense, even though it wasn’t strictly legal.” - Phil Jackson
BEAT THE GAME, DON’T LET IT BEAT YOU. Skip Johnson (Head Baseball Coach at University of Oklahoma) always says, “Attack the game and it will protect you.”
“But what I discovered playing for the Knicks is that when I got too excited mentally, it had a negative effect on my ability to stay focused under pressure.” - Phil Jackson
This is called emotional stability. You build emotional stability by building awareness around your game. Another way to do it… check out this quote.
“The first thing I did with the Bulls was to teach the players an abbreviated version of mindfulness meditation based on the Zen practice I’d been doing for years… mindfulness is about being present in the moment as much as possible, not weighed down by thoughts of the past or the future.”
“We should absorb this moment, I told the team, because losing is as much a part of the game as winning - and I really meant it. “Today they beat us,” I said. “We we not defeated.” - Phil Jackson
Embrace winning AND losing.
“Michael needed to shift his perspective on leadership… Instead of expecting them to be somewhere else and getting angry and trying to will them to that place, you try to meet them where they are and lead them where you want them to go.” - Phil Jackson
Leadership 101
“According to some people,” he said, “I’m even failing to live up to Michael Jordan. But I have the best chance of being him because I am him.” - Michael Jordan
You ever compare yourself to a past time when you were your “best”? Become the best version of you TODAY, because today is the only time you can actually do that.
“The Dalai Lama calls it “the enemy’s gift.” - Phil Jackson
Your enemy will teach you something. Are you humble enough to notice?
“There was so much hype… that the players had a difficult time focusing on the game.” - Phil Jackson
Be able to notice when you’re too high or too low and get yourself back to where YOU need to be to be playing at YOUR best.
“Less and less do you need to force things, until finally you arrive at non-action. When nothing is done, nothing is left undone.” - Lao-tzu
Simplify down the process.
Non-action is sometimes as powerful as action.
“Suffering cheerfully endured ceases to be suffering and is transmuted into an ineffable joy.” - Gandhi
It’s through suffering that suffering is ended.
“When Brian saw Shaq attacking Devean, he called out to him, “If you’d used that much energy blocking out under the boards, you would have gotten yourself a rebound and we probably would have won the game. So instead of taking it out on Devean, why don’t you take responsibility for where you came up short?” - Phil Jackson
Accountability 101
“When I started with the Lakers I thought we could accomplish great things if we could get to the point where the players trusted one another enough to commit to something larger than themselves.” - Phil Jackson
Commit to something bigger than yourself and you’ll find that you will go further than you ever thought possible.
“But trying to eliminate anger never works. The more you try to suppress it, the more likely it Is to erupt later in a more virulent form. A better approach is to become as intimate as possible with how anger works on your mind and body so that you can transform its underlying energy into something productive. As Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman writes, ‘Our goal surely is to conquer anger, but not to destroy the fire it has misappropriated. We will wield that fire with wisdom and turn it to creative ends.’… Anger is an energizing emotion that enhances the sustained attention needed to solve problems and leads to more flexible “big picture” thinking.” - Phil Jackson
When you’re angry, go internal. Close your eyes and feel the feeling in your body. Anger can be like a fire. A fire can heat your house, and also burn it down. Feel the feeling and transform it into your furnace.
“In my view, the key to becoming a successful NBA player is not learning the coolest highlight-reel moves. It’s learning how to control your emotions and keep your mind focused on the game, how to play through pain, how to carve out your role on the team and perform it consistently, how to stay cool under pressure and maintain your equanimity after crushing losses or ecstatic wins.” - Phil Jackson
Emotional control, dealing with bumps and bruises, and performing your role consistently; This isn’t just about basketball. This is about all sports and all of life.
“Michael was masterful at controlling the emotional climate of the team with the power of his presence.” - Phil Jackson
Emotional stability wins championships. Have the awareness to get outside of yourself and feel the emotional climate of your team as well.
“The next one’s going to go in.” - Kobe Bryant to Luke Walton
“Zen teacher Jakusho Kwong suggests becoming “an active participant in loss.” We’re conditioned to seek only gain, to be happy, and to try to satisfy all our desires, he explains. But even though we may understand on some level that loss is a catalyst for growth, most people still believe it to be the opposite of gain and to be avoided at all costs. If I’ve learned anything in my years of practicing Zen and coaching basketball, it’s that what we resist persists. Sometimes the letting go happens quickly; other times it may take several sleepless nights. Or weeks.” - Phil Jackson
Instead of resisting, let it in. This goes back to point 19. Go internal and feeling the feeling and becoming friends with it. Don’t resist, because it will persist; Invite it in like an old friend, have a cup of coffee or tea, and in time, see it on it’s way.
Coaching Practices
“No matter how gaudy or cumbersome a championship ring may be, the dream of winning one is what motivates players to put themselves through the trials of a long NBA season.” - Phil Jackson
If you have a championship ring (or something along those lines), where it.
“I’ve always been interested in getting players to think for themselves so that they can make difficult decisions in the heat of battle.” - Phil Jackson
#1 Rule of Coaching: Create self-reliance.
“Once I had the Bulls practice in silence; on another occasion I made them scrimmage with the lights out.” - Phil Jackson
How are you mixing it up?
“One of my favorite ploys was to divide the players into lopsided teams for a scrimmage, then not call any fouls on the weaker of the two.” - Phil Jackson
“Red was a master of simplicity.” - Phil Jackson
Great coaches are masters of doing simple better.
“He instituted what he called “silly fines” for practice…” - Phil Jackson
Do you have team rules or fines?
"What I loved about Red was his ability to put basketball in perspective. Early in the 1969-70 season, we went on an eighteen-game winning streak and pulled away from the rest of the pack. When the streak ended with a disappointing loss at home, reporters asked Red what he would have done if the Knicks had won, and he replied, '“I’d go home, drink a scotch, and eat the great meal that [his wife] Selma is cooking.” And what would he do now that we had lost? “Go home, drink a scotch, and eat the great meal Selma is cooking.’” - Phil Jackson
Do you have a post-game routine?
“Every now and then, to keep the players focused, he would ask them to nod their heads if they heard the word “defense” while he was talking - which happened about every fourth word.” - Phil Jackson
Keeping players focused is key, mixing it up and having little tricks like this up your sleeve to help them along the way is essential.
“At the beginning of every practice, we had the core team - players, coaches, and training staff - convene in a circle at center court to discuss our objectives for that day. And we would end practice the same way.” - Phil Jackson
Go over your team objectives at the beginning and end of EACH and EVERY practice.
“What I’ve learned over the years is that the most effective approach is to delegate authority as much as possible and to nurture everyone else’s leadership skills as well. When I’m able to do that, it not only builds team unity and allows others to grow but also - paradoxically - strengthens my role as a leader.” - Phil Jackson
Divide and conquer. Delegate and you leadership will skyrocket.
“Every morning, the coaching staff and I would meet for breakfast and discuss the fine points of the practice plan, as well as the latest scouting reports. That allowed us to share information with one another and make sure we were all on the same page in terms of day-to-day strategy.” - Phil Jackson
Each coach should know the practice plan to a T.
“I didn’t dictate to him what I wanted; I simply pushed him to think about the problem in a different way, mostly by asking him questions about the impact that this or that strategy might have on the team… When I let him solve the problem himself, he was more likely to buy into the solution and not repeat the same counterproductive behavior in the future.” - Phil Jackson
BE A BETTER QUESTION ASKER. If you want to be great at this, buy and read the book Ask More Tell Less by Greg Warburton (Click Here to Buy It). It’s ALL about asking better questions and telling less. If you want to know the importance of telling less, go reread that quote…
“On every successful team I’ve coached, most of the players had a clear idea of the role they were expected to play.” - Phil Jackson
Know your role. Let your players know their roles.
“To increase his [Toni Kukoc] level of mindfulness, I developed a special form of sign language to help us communicate with each other during games. If he strayed from the system, I’d give him a look and I expected him to give me a sign of acknowledgement.” - Phil Jackson
Having some way of easily communicating with your players to let them know they’re made a mistake and then for them to respond letting you know, “Yes, I know what I did there,” will help WIN YOU GAMES.
“I had always insisted on structured practices with a clear agenda that the players would receive ahead of time.” - Phil Jackson
CLEAR AGENDAS FOR PRACTICE
“They should chant together.” - Phil Jackson
Have your team chant together. Seriously. Try it out.
“I always welcomed debate, even if it disrupted team harmony temporarily, because it showed that the players were engaged in solving the problems.” - Phil Jackson
Self-reliance is key to high performance. If there is active communication going on, allow it. Just because someone interrupts practice doesn’t mean its a bad thing. This quote is why players speaking up is good.
“Earlier that day, we meditated in the hotel.” - Phil Jackson
Pre-game rituals are important. Use them to help center and focus your team.
“I was animated more than usual because I wanted to keep the players focused.” - Phil Jackson
Intentionally use your energy and aggressiveness. Feel the moment and choose when to be calm and when to be high energy. Always have a reason why; DO NOT just react.
“I was so frustrated by the team’s low energy in the decisive game 4 that I threw a mock fit and sent everyone home early from practice the next day.”
“A MOCK FIT.” Get fired up coach! Intentionally. - Phil Jackson
“During training camp, we talked about what we’d learned in the playoffs that could help us in the future.” - Phil Jackson
Postseason breakdown in the preseason of next season. <— you catch that?
“I realized that the best way to communicate with Ron was to coach everything in a positive way - not just with the words I used, but with my gestures and facial expressions as well.” - Phil Jackson
93% of communication is nonverbal. Remember that your body language means just as much IF NOT MORE than what you actually say to players.
Quotes
“It takes a number of critical factors to win an NBA championship including the right mix of talent, creativity, intelligence, toughness, and, of course, luck.” - Phil Jackson
“One breath equals one mind.” - Phil Jackson
“You can’t be a coach if you need to be liked.” - Phil Jackson
“The best we can hope for is to create the best possible conditions for success, and then let go of the outcome.” - Phil Jackson
“What you do for yourself, you’re doing for others, and what you’re doing for others, you’re doing for yourself.” - Phil Jackson
“…the road to freedom is a beautiful system.”
“Success turns we’s back into me’s.” - Michael Jordan
“We just hate to lose, and when you have guys like that, they’ll do anything to win.” - Bill Cartwright
“Great players make other players better.” - Phil Jackson
“Everything changes… when you change your understanding and your way of living, then you can completely enjoy your new life in each moment. The evanescence of things is the reason you enjoy your life.” - Suzuki
“Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.” - Zen saying
“One day enlightenment, the next day dishes.” - Greg Warburton
“We are not going to lose this game.” - Michael Jordan
“Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and over to annihilation can that which is indestructible be found in us.” - Pema Chodron
“With enthusiasm you find you don’t have to do it all yourself. In fact, there is nothing of significance you can do by yourself.” - Eckhart Tolle
“To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved.” - George McDonald
“…the line between aggressive intensity needed to win games and destructive anger is often razor thing.” - Phil Jackson
“Forget mistakes, forget failures, forget everything, except what you’re going to do now and do It. Today is your lucky day.” - Will Durant
“This game’s in the refrigerator, the door is closed, the lights are out, the eggs are cooling, the butter’s getting hard, and the jello’s jigglin’!” - Chick Hearn
“As a leader your job is to do everything in your power to create the perfect conditions for success by benching your ego and inspiring your team to play the game the right way. But at some point, you need to let go and turn yourself over to the basketball gods. The soul of success is surrendering to what is.” - Phil Jackson
