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Mindgames: Phil Jackson's Long Strange Journey Paperback – April 1, 2007

by Roland Lazenby (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 57 ratings
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Mindgames follows the journey of Phil Jackson to the top of basketball’s coaching hierarchy, a rise that took him from obscurity in the Continental Basketball Association to nine championship rings in the NBA. Along the way he turned multimillionaire players on to meditation, transformed the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls from a one-man show to a five-man team of domination, and after battling with Bulls management, ended one dynasty to start another on the West Coast.

 

Sportswriter Roland Lazenby, author of the bestselling Blood on the Horns, reveals the fascinating story of Jackson's life, from his years with the New York Knicks under the legendary Red Holzman to his remarkable nine championships coaching first the Chicago Bulls and then the Los Angeles Lakers.

 

In Mindgames Lazenby compellingly portrays a man with a unique determination to control the competitive environment he inhabits. A clear picture of the Jackson mystique emerges: philosopher, teacher, manipulator, counselor, psychologist, shaman, champion, master of mind games.
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  1. Print length
    450 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Bison Books
  4. Publication date
    April 1, 2007
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.9 x 8.8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0803259980
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0803259980
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A must for any serious student of basketball.”—Gary Dretzka, Chicago Tribune

From the Back Cover

National bestseller reveals the man behind eight NBA championships

"A must for any serious student of basketball."
--Gary Dretzka, "Chicago Tribune

"Mindgames follows the journey of Phil Jackson to the top of basketball's coaching hierarchy, a rise that took him from failure and obscurity in the CBA to eight championship rings in the NBA. Along the way he turned multimillionaire players on to meditation, transformed the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls from a one-man show into a five-man team of domination, and, after battling with Bulls management, ended one dynasty to start another on the West Coast.

Sportswriter Roland Lazenby, author of the bestselling "Blood on the Horns and "Mad Game, reveals the fascinating elements of Jackson's life and mental approach to coaching that have made followers of his players but also have made him--perhaps not surprisingly--unpredictable and sometimes unpopular to outsiders. It is also a detailed basketball story, with entertaining accounts from Jackson's years with the New York Knicks under the legendary Red Holzman to his remarkable eight championships coaching first the Chicago Bulls and then the Los Angeles Lakers. This paperback edition of "Mindgames includes a new chapter on the 2000-2001 season, in which Jackson and the Lakers overcame the perils of success and team-breaking player infighting to capture their second consecutive NBA title.

In "Mindgames, Lazenby compellingly portrays a man with a unique determination to control the competitive environment he inhabits. A clear picture of the Jackson mystique emerges: philosopher, teacher, manipulator, counselor, psychologist, shaman, champion, master of mind games.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bison Books (April 1, 2007)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 450 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0803259980
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0803259980
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.35 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.9 x 8.8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 57 ratings

About the author

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Roland Lazenby

Roland Lazenby

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Michael Jordan saved my life once. It was during the 1995 playoffs, Chicago vs. Charlotte, after a practice at the arena in Charlotte. He was walking out of the building with a group of reporters following. Walking backwards, I was leading the pack, with my tape recorder in his face, interviewing as we walked. I was a foot from walking off the loading dock at the back of the arena, about a 10 foot fall onto concrete, when he reached out and grabbed my arm to stop me from going over the edge.

So when I say that I have an interest in Jordan, I mean it.

I've written a new biography, Michael Jordan, The Life, set to be released by Little, Brown on May 6, 2014. His is a very big life, and the book was an immense challenge to write but oh so fascinating, as was the Jerry West bio I wrote in 2010 for ESPN Books/Random House.

I like to write about competitive personalities, especially those in the NBA. I like to write about their families. Among the zillion questions I had about MJ, I wanted to know where he came from, who the Jordans were. They were moonshiners, making and selling illegal liquor on North Carolina's Coastal Plain. So that's where his hard edge came from, I thought upon discovering who they were. Just about all the farmers and sharecroppers were moonshiners back in the day. That was their cash crop, the one that kept the family fed. They were tough-minded people, just like Jordan himself.

I've written a book that builds his life from that background. Starting at the beginning, with the birth of his great grandfather Dawson Jordan, allows me to take the reader through the process of his family, his background, and the nurturing of his vast competitive nature. What's more, it's immensely fun to track his rise. I enjoyed writing about the sharecroppers on North Carolina's Coastal Plain, just as I enjoyed writing about the coal miners and frontier settlers in Jerry West's background in West Virginia.

I see it as connecting all of the important cultural dots in the backgrounds of iconic figures.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
57 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

DARIUSZ WYSPIANSKI
5.0 out of 5 stars Thanks to this book, I know PHIL JACKSON a little bit better and more I understand Him
Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2017
Verified Purchase
Fantastic story about PHIL JACKSON's coaching career and also about building his winning philosophy, His attitude towards players, conflict with Jerry Krause, relationship with MJ, thinking about motivation and also very well told parts concerned His childhood and basketball player career.
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Constantine Ananiadis
4.0 out of 5 stars A great account of Jackson's life
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2001
Verified Purchase
Having always been intrigued by Phil Jackson as a coach and a person, I was thrilled to see that an account of his interesting career and life had been published. Being a coach myself, I had always wanted to find how this living legend's mind works and maybe try to apply some of his ideas/concepts to my coaching. That was the reason that I had devoured "Sacred Hoops" as soon as it came out back in 95-96.
I was also excited to see "the value" that the book offers: 400 pages..."Not bad" I thought, and I went ahead and ordered the book right away!
The content of the book did not disappoint me one bit. It is nicely structured (chronologically) and it gives quite an insight and quite a few details of Jackson's life. Usually a slow reader, I breezed through this nicely written piece of work by Lazenby. I especially enjoyed the quotes from interviews and informal discussions that either Jackson himself or people he was associated with had given in the past. I also really liked the fact that the book includes Jackson's first season in LA. I think this adds tremendous value to the book: it makes its publishing a lot more timely and therefore more appealing.
My only couple of concerns with this publication are the following: a) The book seems to repeat itself at times mentioning the same thing over and over maybe from a different perspective but the same information/idea none-the-less. I apologize for not having a good example of this handy, but I wasn't taking notes while I was reading... b) The book is a little too "superficial" for my taste. Jackson is such a complicated and unique person and I think this book makes little or no attempt to try and "decipher" him. I am not sure, however, that that was even the intent of the author to begin with. Maybe all Lazenby wanted to do was give an account of Jackson's life and not really try to judge/critique his coaching techniques or philosophies. Regardless, I felt that since the author seems to "know" Jackson so well, he should have tried to offer an opinion on some of the controversial decisions in his personal or professional life.
Overall, I'd say that anyone interested in Jackson should get this book. Lazenby gives you an objective account of Jackson's life (the good AND the bad; unlike many autobiographies...) and one will have a great time reading through the stories and looking at the pictures.
Should a basketball (or other) coach get the book though in order to maybe "gain some coaching knowledge"? I wouldn't think so...
11 people found this helpful
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BermudaDog
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2013
Verified Purchase
This is a very interesting account of Phil Jackson's use of zen philosophy on the court. He's a riveting character and the book does a great job of fleshing him out. The behind the scenes details about the Bulls to are an added bonus as well.
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E. Freedman
5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT!
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2013
Verified Purchase
If you know anything about Phil Jackson, you're a fan.
He is so smart and tells wonderful storys.
I wish Phil would run for President!
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Confusion
3.0 out of 5 stars Alright book but the digital edition could be better
Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2020
Verified Purchase
Mind Games: Phil Jackson's Long Strange Journey by Roland Lazenby covers Phil Jackson as a coach. But it's just as much about his mindset and the two teams he coached, the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers. Some of the stories in the book look like they were already in Blood on the Horns though they cover the perspective of Phil more. At times, it gets a bit fannish with all the game recaps and you can feel the love Lazenby has for the Bulls so if you were not a fan (I was) you may not care as much for this book.

The ebook version of Mind Games starts off well but by the last 3 or 4 chapters the book devolves into a mess of typos and spelling mistakes. It made for an annoying read and I hope they will be fixed but I'm not counting on it.

Should you get this book new? I dunno but if you can find it at a good price or at your local library I would say give it a read if you're into NBA basketball history.
One person found this helpful
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G R Henry Boynton
5.0 out of 5 stars Another Lazenby masterpiece
Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2017
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Can't put it down.
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William R. Drake
4.0 out of 5 stars Very Entertaining
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2011
Verified Purchase
I really enjoy NBA basketball and I have watched DVDs of a number of the Bull's and Michael Jordan's great games of the 90s, but my knowledge of the game and players is fairly basic and I am not a "fanatic" about the sport. From that perspective, Mindgames is a very readable and enjoyable book. It also has a lot of interesting information about Jackson, and Chicago and LA players, without being "overly detailed." The author based his book on an incredible number of interviews and he uses numerous quotes from important sources, which adds a lot to the story as it unfolds chronologically. The book is very thorough in covering Jackson's Chicago years and his first year at LA. It gives what seems to be a very honest and fair picture of Jackson that is very positive overall. The only thing I didn't like were the numerous stories of the conflicts Chicago VP Jerry Krause had with Jackson as well as with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. These are scattered throughout 100 pages of the 400 page book. They are part of the chronological history but I tired of them after awhile. Were it not for that, I'd probably give the book five stars.
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Prakash S.
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2016
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good as I could of hoped for
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Top reviews from other countries

Stixz17
4.0 out of 5 stars Terrific !!!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 15, 2011
Verified Purchase
Lazenby's account of the story is awesome ! Backed by countless interviews from players, coaches, and more, it sort of takes you into the changing rooms, practice sessions, buses, flights and boardroom arguments through Phil Jackson's illustrious career ! It also gave me more reasons to love and 'not to love' MJ, Shaq, Kobe and the 3 Jerry's (Buss, Reinsdorf and Krause). You get to see how instrumental Phil Jackson was in the Bulls' 6 championships, and the Lakers' 2000 championship. If you didn't respect him already....this book will be a game-changer !
Though it didn't meet my expectations with the actual mindgames, it left me very satisfied. I got to see how much effort, skill and will power is required to drive to the title; the effects of the 'supporting cast' (how MJ and Scottie didn't do it alone), and how 'contagious' confidence is, especially in team sports. If there's one thing I'd ask....is to have a new edition, detailing the Zen Masters complete Lakers experience...Kobe, Pau...the main reasons behind the trade (Artest for Ariza)...and the Dallas sweep !
One person found this helpful
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Denis Collen
4.0 out of 5 stars An alternative review of Jacksons Legacy
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 3, 2017
Verified Purchase
A brief but interesting review of the championship teams that Phil Jackson has coached and developed over the time in the NBA.
One person found this helpful
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