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Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich are two of the best coaches that the NBA has ever seen. While one was part of two three-peats whilst leading a talented team that had the likes of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, Popovich on the other hand has won five titles and is the chief personality behind the San Antonio Spurs’ success over the past two decades.
Since joining the Spurs in 1996, Popovich led them to winning records in 22 full seasons and has a positive record against all NBA teams that he faced. Jackson was the Chicago Bulls’ head coach for ten seasons before his move to the LA Lakers, where he added five NBA titles and coached the likes of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. Whilst their coaching approaches have often been compared, in this article, we attempt to answer a simple question: Who is the better head-coach?
Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich: Who is the better NBA head-coach?
Phil Jackson has won 11 NBA titles as head-coach, a record. Popovich has won five, which is the third highest among coaches. Jackson worked with some of the best players of the previous generation in the likes of Jordan, Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. He has the best winning percentage among coaches with at least 500 games, and is without a doubt one of the greatest coaches that the NBA ever saw.
Popovich, however, appears to be the majority favorite, which is despite the fact that he hasn’t won nearly as many championships as Phil Jackson. While Jackson’s teams were superior in quality comprehensively during his coaching tenure, Gregg Popovich cannot claim the same.
After opening his career with the San Antonio Spurs with a 17-47 record, Popovich transformed the club and made it an “organization.” He found a way to get the best out of his players year after year, and has simply never had the league’s best players on his team. Despite being the head-coach of a single team, Popovich has shown a tactical nous that is testament to his genius.
His first championship team rode on the likes of David Robinson and Tim Duncan, two quality players who became franchise legends as well. However, Popovich has also been able to help the likes of Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Malik Rose to the best of effect for years together and managed to won multiple championships while enjoying a winning record against all NBA teams since more than two decades.
In such a scenario, while the records of the two coaches point to an obvious answer, Gregg Popovich’s genius lies in man-management, continuity, and getting the best out of his players who might never have reached similar heights under a different coach.
Jackson, on the other hand, is often recognized as the best coach for “superstars,” something that he was able to achieve consistently for years as well. It is the perennial argument, one that we see even in football. While Pep Guardiola will undoubtedly finish with more trophies than a certain Sir Alex Ferguson, it was Fergie who got lesser players further and won trophies with teams that would simply not have a chance, if not for him.
Hence, while Phil Jackson has a better record, Gregg Popovich is widely recognized as the best coach of all time.
Guess the Bulls players in this quiz and it's not going to be easy!
