Nobody Loses Like Phil Jackson
The Los Angeles Lakers 2008 NBA Finals defeat has gone from a matter of “if” to a matter of “where,” and while Kobe and the Bryanteers staved off elimination for one more game, it’s clear that there’s nobody better to lose a title than Phil Jackson.
Already the NBA’s signature name for coaching success, Phil Jackson is also proving that no one is better at losing a game in grand fashion. In this series alone, the Lakers almost pulled off the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history in Game 2, and allowed the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history two games later.
But go back further than that. Phil also oversaw one of the greatest meltdowns in NBA history in 2006, as his Lakers blew a 3-1 series lead against the Phoenix Suns. Two years prior, the last of the Kobe-Shaq era played out to a 4-1 championship round routing at the hands of the Detroit Pistons.
Sure, we know about the .717 playoff winning percentage, but we should never forget that a lot of the .283 is the stuff of legend as well.
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