How to Win Like a 13-Time NBA Champion

It’s not what you think.

13 NBA Championships — 11 as a coach, 2 as a player.

Phil Jackson knows how to win.

In his book Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior, Jackson details his basketball philosophy and how he applies those powerful spiritual lessons to live like a champion.

Jackson’s unique, Zen-like approach to winning will help anyone pursuing a fulfilling life. Sacred Hoops is full of basketball anecdotes and the winning traits of stars like Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman.

Counterintuitively, the philosophy that drives Jackson’s NBA championship-winning teams isn’t based on the high-octane aggression that most people associate with competitive sports. Jackson’s championships stem from Zen Buddhism, selflessness, and compassion.

Basketball is simply an expression of Jackson’s inner artistry.

Being fully engaged is better than winning

“Winning is important to me, but what brings me real joy is the experience of being fully engaged in whatever I’m doing.”

— Phil Jackson

It sounds obvious when Jackson says it. This guy’s a serial winner. Isn’t it easy to glorify the process once you’ve already achieved the results?

But life is not guaranteed. Jackson would have felt this way whether he won or not.

Throughout Sacred Hoops, Phil Jackson describes his deepest failures and greatest triumphs. He takes us through a journey coaching obscure teams like the Albany Patroons, Gallitos de Isabela, Piratas de Quebradilla, to eventually the famed Chicago Bulls. His triumphs came from being in the moment and focusing completely on the task at hand.

Winning underwhelms.

It’s the sweet taste of victory, but it’s a moment just like any other. Everybody in the world wants to win, but few do.

Why is that?

“I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”

— Jim Carrey

According to Phil Jackson, the key to winning is a mix of selflessness and compassion. This flies in the face of today’s hustle-culture. Jackson’s secrets aren’t really secrets. They work because they’re true to who he is and what he believes in.

Awareness is everything.

We turn to the Oracle of Delphi and the ancient Greek aphorism: Know Yourself.

The secret to championships lies in “not thinking”.

What on Earth is Jackson talking about?

How to develop championship-level selflessness and compassion

Selflessness and compassion sound simple enough. So how do you do it?

Jackson suggests developing the Buddhist skill of “bare attention”.

Bare attention is where you listen without judgement. Listen without jumping to conclusions. It’s so difficult because humans love answers. We want to know what’s good or bad, right or wrong.

It takes a lot of energy to stop our egos.

This form of listening also applies to how you listen to your own thoughts. Before you judge your own ideas as stupid or unrealistic, just listen.

Your thoughts are not real.

Most of the negativity in your head doesn’t correspond to reality. They could be manifestations of your own fears and insecurities. Worse still, they could be manifestations of others’ fears and insecurities that you’ve kept bottled up inside.

In my case, a lot of my negative thoughts sound like the angry words of my parents.

Maybe you can relate.

By acknowledging the fleeting nature of your thoughts, you will learn how to operate under pressure. To be champion means executing the correct plays when everything is on the line. Doubts, imposter syndrome, fears of the future… These are all perfectly normal.

Your thoughts don’t define you. They’re just thoughts.

Let them pass.

Meditation is another way to develop selflessness and compassion. Jackson taught all of his championship teams how to meditate. He wanted his players to develop a safe and secure place of inner strength.

In the heat of the moment, you lose perspective. When you have twenty thousand rabid basketball fans screaming at you, it’s easy to force things rather than play naturally. All of your training, sacrifice, and life experiences are thrown out the window the moment you panic.

Meditation grounds you. It allows you to find joy and peace in the present moment.

Meditation uncovers the opportunities hidden in plain sight.

Champions operate by Albert Einstein’s three rules of work:

1. Out of clutter, find simplicity.

2. From discord, find harmony.

3. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.

A winner’s mindset: from “me” to “we”

Creating a winning team means addressing the players’ need to connect to something larger than themselves. NBA players are top athletes. They are not solely driven by money. Personal glory alone won’t create championship teams.

One of Jackson’s greatest challenges was shifting his players’ focus from “me” to “we”.

To become an elite athlete, many players believe from a young age that they must show off their individual talent at every opportunity. They think that success comes from amassing the best highlight reel.

Unfortunately, everybody is elite at the top. All NBA players have the required talent, skills, and abilities — that’s why they’re in the NBA.

The difference between an NBA athlete and an NBA-championship-winning athlete is the ability to see beyond oneself. It’s the ability to play for the team, not just for themselves.

“The sign of a great player was not how much he scored, but how much he lifted his teammates’ performance.”

— Red Holzman

It’s tempting to focus on your own success at the expense of others. Why should you waste time and energy helping others succeed?

Jackson cautions against this selfish mindset. If your ambition is to be good, then self-centredness might work in the short term. But if you want to be great, uplifting others will sustain you in the long run.

Winning comes and goes, but the love of the game, the journey, the dance of life — that’s what truly matters. When you’re fully engaged in flow. When you’re in the zone and you’re part of something greater than yourself…Those are the ingredients for a beautiful life.

By accepting the possibility of death, you discover life.

By accepting the possibility of defeat, you discover victory.

It’s not magic. It’s not loud, macho, or boastful like everyone else. But that’s what separates champions from the rest. True champions are gentle warriors. They visualize success, but they’re flexible as well.

When things don’t go their way, a champion doesn’t force their own agenda at all costs. They’re open to change. They feel the present moment, trust their gut and proceed based on their vision — a vivid picture of the future that includes both the “what” as well as the “how”.

Knowing all of this, the last step is repetition.

No secrets. Show up every day. Put in the work and complete your daily task.

Don’t overthink it. Jackson incorporates Zen Buddhist sayings to illustrate the paradox of a champion’s mind: winning is important, but it’s not everything.

“Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.

After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.”

— Zen Quote

So what?

If true joy is about being present in the moment. Do the results, trophies, and toys actually matter? Nope. They might be the byproducts of a successful life, but they’re not the cause for a life well-lived.

Everything changes.

Why treat life so seriously? After all, it can only kill you.

Stop worrying about your life’s big themes. Stop agonizing over the big picture and how everything fits together in the end. It might not even be in your control. Life is impermanence, after all.

What can you do then?

Focus on this breath. This moment. This word.

“The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up”.

— Paul Valery

Stop dreaming and take action. One step at a time.

We are only human.

“Dreams are wiser than men.”

— Omaha saying