• Phil Jackson once claimed he couldn’t trust Shaquille O’Neal or Wilt Chamberlain as ‘leaders’
• He alluded to their lack of free-throw shooting ability as a problem
• O’Neal won three Finals MVPs under Jackson on the Lakers
Phil Jackson was one of the most demanding coaches in NBA history. He won 11 titles as a coach because he wanted the best from his stars, which is why he never could trust Shaquille O’Neal as his team leader.
Jackson revealed this in a 1999 Sports Illustrated interview with Frank Deford, who used Wilt Chamberlain as an example of another player Jackson wouldn’t call a leader. It was down to their poor free-throw shooting ability.
Phil Jackson: “Yes, Shaquille would be the obvious choice, but because of his free throw situation, he can’t be the leader.”
Frank Deford: “You mean Wilt Chamberlain, scoring 35 or more a game, could never have been a leader of a team of yours?”
Phil Jackson: “That’s right. Look, you’ve got to deliver in the clutch if you’re going to be the leader, and if you can’t make free throws…”
Frank Deford: “Have you told Shaquille this?”
Phil Jackson: ‘No, not yet.'”
Jackson made these comments at the start of his tenure with the Lakers, where he won three championships with O’Neal as his star in his first three seasons. Thankfully, he also had Kobe Bryant, who would be the go-to ball-handler in clutch situations for the franchise.
O’Neal averaged 27.0 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.5 blocks over his time with Jackson. Shaq took the duties of a team leader and primary option as a young Kobe got ready to take the franchise in his direction after O’Neal’s departure in 2004.
Phil Jackson Coached Some Of The Greatest Duos In NBA History
In the discussion of the greatest duos in NBA history, there are two clear examples that rise head and shoulders above the rest. The first is Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, while the other is Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.
Both these duos combined to win 9 championships, with three separate three-peats (Bulls twice, Lakers once). Throughout this entire run, they were coached by Jackson. Shaq believes the Lakers duo was better than the Bulls duo, but the championships don’t lie.
Jackson also coached the Kobe and Pau Gasol duo that won two titles in 2009 and 2010. He’s won 11 titles off the backs of fantastic duo combinations that worked in perfect harmony. There’s a reason many call him the greatest coach in history, and that’s because he always brought the best out of his players and has the rings to show for it.
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