Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #32632 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Synopsis
Taking the bull by the horns - a legendary basketball coach reveals his secrets. This is a modern classic of motivation, team leadership and Zen insight from the triumphant coach of the all-conquering mid-'90s Chicago Bulls. It is updated for a new readership. Everybody has seen the image: Michael Jordan soaring at an impossible height towards a defenseless basket, the ball raised above his head in the classic Air Jordan position. The upturned faces of the crowd blurred dots pointed expectantly towards the flying legend. Yet another NBA pennant in the bag: another triumph for the most successful team - and coach - in basketball history. Now the man behind it all has revealed his secrets in a memoir quite unlike any other. Nine-times-NBA-title-winning coach with both the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson is the most successful coach of all time - renowned for his Zen approach to the game and his unparalleled motivational skills.

In this updated version of his thought-provoking memoir he reveals how he directs his players to act with a clear mind - not thinking, just doing; to respect the enemy and be aggressive without anger or violence; to live in the moment and stay calmly focused in the midst of chaos; and to put the "me" in the service of the "we". All lessons applicable to any person's life, not just a professional basketball player's. With an updated introduction explaining the issues facing Jackson's current team - and today's reader - "Sacred Hoops" is an extraordinary expression of the power of mindfulness, compassion and dedication.

Customer Reviews

Sacred Hoops was very refreshing and thought-provoking.
In lieu of the recent NBA lockout and the subsequent retirement of its premier star attraction, Michael Jordan, reading Sacred Hoops, brilliantly written by former Bulls' coach Phil Jackson, provides a very refreshing and thought-provoking look into the money-driven and often soulessness world of professional basketball. The book takes a wonderful look into the mind of Jackson, raised by Pentacostal parents in Montana, who later became enlightened by Zen and Native American principles during his playing career with the New York Knicks and early coaching stints in Albany, N.Y. and Puerto Rico. Jackson's higher wisdom of teamwork - his philosophy of preaching the expression of the power of mindfulness and compassion in action - became a paradigm for his success in guiding the Bulls to six NBA championships in the 1990s (the paperback edition chronicles through the 1995-96 season). The book also serves as an insightful memoir full of stories about Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Toni Kukoc and Dennis Rodman. For devotees of Jordan, Sacred Hoops serves as a nice complement to other books written about him and shows how Jackson instilled in Jordan - and his teammates - the ability to act with a clear mind and stay calmly focused at all times; how he changed the Bulls into a team that served the "we" instead of "me". Sacred Hoops is an inspiring book - one which you won't want to put down.

Peace of mind on the hardwood
Having read this book about 3 times already, I can truly say that Phil Jackson has discovered how to make players into superstars and superstars into players. The only thing that seperates players at the NBA level is mental toughness and this book outlines the what, how and why he did it. To get the greatest player ever to play in a team concept is tough and he's done it successfully.This book also provided me with an insight into the art of zen and it's implication on this great game. To summarize, I would recommend this book to anyone who wishes to learn about Phil Jackson and his success in Chigaco

Every hoopster needs to read this
This book helped me find peace with myself on the basketball court. Concepts of teamwork and selflessness have never been drilled home so well. My attitude on the court completely turned around after I read and understood this book. I wouldn't go so far to say it changed my life, but it definitely changed my life between the lines of the court.