Why Yogoslavia Has Never Won a War

After 11 combined NBA championships (Chicago Bulls and the Los Angles Lakers), Phil Jackson retired at the completion of the season.  He retires as the most successful coach in the history of the league.

Charley Rosen of The Atlantic has a wonderful profile of Jackson that is currently online (The NBA After Phil Jackson Will Be Very, Very Boring).  When I read the article, the word "innovative" kept coming up in my mind.  Jackson fundamentally was an innovator in three critical areas:

1. Innovative / The Process Part - - Jackson was the last remaining champion of the Triangle offense.  The Triangle offense is initiated by the ball-handler passing to whichever of his teammates that must necessarily be open (the premise of the Triangle is that it's impossible to overplay and deny passes directed at all of the four players who do not have the ball without getting burned by backdoor cuts).  It is a passing offense.  It is a team offense.  It is a reactive offense - - in league marked by no passing, no concept of team, and no reactivity.  Rosen has a great line, ". . . the Triangle is nothing less that the systemization of unselfishness."
2. Innovative / The Leadership Part - - In a league with huge egos, Jackson understood that the guy wearing the business suit during games cannot be a ball club's primary motivating force.  Jackson understood that his leadership role was to shape the environment.  Players had to work out their own on- and off-court problems.  The team was much better at disciplining the team than Jackson could or would ever be.  Command and control leadership and management was replaced with a simple but powerful word - - trust.  Trust in the individual and trust in the ideas embedded in team.
3. Innovative / The Creativity Part - - In the age of iPods, iPhones, iPads, iTunes - - and just plain old capital "I" - - it is very difficult just to get people's attention.  Tuned out and turned off are significant forces and challenges in both business and professional sports.  But nothing gets people's attention like surprise, and Jackson got the most out of surprise.  From tie-dyed shirts and cut-off jeans at practices to cleansing the locker room of negative energy - - one could never anticipate or out guess what Jackson would come up with next.

Consider the following story Rosen tells in the article:

"Jackson also used video sessions to keep his players guessing.  Like the time he interrupted the tape of a post-season game played in 1996 between the Bulls and the Heat by silently replaying one particular sequence five consecutive times: Miami's forward Chris Gatling had severely sprained an ankle, but since Chicago had possession, the Heat were unable to call a time-out.  With Gatling literally hopping on one keg, the Bulls spread the floor to determine whom he was guarding, which turned out to be Kukoc.  The obvious call was to isolate Kukoc on Gatling, a play that started with Kukoc dribbling a few feet beyond the 3-point arc.  Whereas a drive hoop ward would certainly be the most profitable option, Kukoc suddenly pulled up his dribble and unleashed a long three-pointer - - which missed.

A Jackson repeated the play, the Bulls were totally intent on hearing what his eventual comment might be.  "That's why," Jackson finally said, "Yugoslavia has never won a war."

The players burst into laughter, and Kukoc was appropriately chagrined without being subjected to searing verbal abuse."