Los Angeles Lakers' Phil Jackson: The Real Reasons Why He Is the NBA's Greatest Coach

By Pat Mixon

 The Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson has been labeled "the Zen Master" for years because of his approach to the game, his quirky mannerisms and the things he talks about.

But, his unique style has separated him from all other NBA legends. This all started back in the 1990's when Jackson was head coach of the Chicago Bulls. He honed his approach to the game coaching the great Michael Jordan to six NBA titles, including two three-peats and setting the record for regular season wins in 1995.

There are key elements to Jackson's style that are a real difference from other NBA coaches. Coincidence or not, Jackson holds the most rings coaching, at eleven and the twelve-pack possibly looms next June for his Lakers.

What are the elements of Jackson's style?

Let's look at the keys for Jackson to prepare and allow the Lakers to hoist another NBA trophy.

MEDITATE

Jackson has the Lakers meditate before each game. Sounds silly? Try powerful. Like everything with Jackson, there is a purpose. And, this isn't something new to Jackson and his coaching style. He had Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls do the exact same thing.

Basically, meditation involves quieting the mind, finding a state of relaxation among the chaos both internal and external. Jackson's track record proves this must have merit. He wants his players calm, especially before the biggest game of their careers.

PREPARE

Jackson is a basketball junkie. He's lived the game for over forty years. He's done it all, worked his way up from the nether regions of the sport to the pinnacle. He's done it all his way. But, when it comes down to it, he's a really a tactician.

He prepares his Lakers as hard as any other Coach. It's amazing he's only won Coach of the Year only once. Only one!! We sure root for the underdog and not reward excellence.

That is another mind-numbing stat. In a series that is predicated on adjustments, Jackson usually gets the upper hand. He'll always add a new wrinkle, call a play for someone like Ron Artest or change up his defensive assignments.

EXECUTE

Jackson preaches execution like a southern minister preaching hell and fire. He is adamant about precision and flow. His triangle offense requires this level of detail. And, it shows.

In wins, chances are the Lakers offense hummed like a vintage muscle car. In losses, the first area any fan can point to for the failure was offensive execution.

DEFEND

Everyone focuses on the great players Jackson has coached, or his classic triangle offense. But, he's a defensive powerhouse. Jordan's Bulls won titles because they could defend. The Shaq/Kobe Lakers stopped people. This current iteration of the Lakers is at the top of the defense rankings in the league.

POISE

Maybe this is tied to the whole meditation thing but Jackson predicates his coaching style on poise. That's why you won't see him call a tremendous amount of timeouts, at least in the regular season. He likes to say that he wants his players to work out their problems on their own.

This does teach poise, as the Lakers don't get rattled, even on massive runs by the other team. Jackson will sit there and watch the action. Rarely will he stem the tide by calling a timeout. It is a unique style and many a Lakers fan can be heard screaming at their TV for a T, but Jackson has the victories to back this up.

SUCCESS

It all comes down to this. Jackson has coached in 13 NBA Finals.That's even hard to write. He's got eleven rings. Everyone wants to ding him for having great players and that is true.

But, remember, Jordan won nothing until Jackson. Shaq and Kobe couldn't even get out of the Western Conference playoffs. And, Kobe experienced his only losing season as a player without his Zen Master.

Everyone wants to say the Lakers winning or losing comes down to what Kobe does. And, it is true, in most aspects. But when games count, so does coaching.

Jackson has the edge over all other NBA coaches. Call him what you want but I'll call him what he is: the NBA's greatest coach.

The media loves to position him as a Zen Master and it is fun to play around with. But Jackson is more drawn to Native American ways. So, he's the really Lakers' Shaman, their Medicine Man, getting them ready for the reign dance. Meditate on that.

Want to learn more about Kobe Bryant's gladiator mentality? Check out my new book, The Kobe Code: Eight Principles for Success-- An Insider's Look into Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant's Warrior Life & the Code He Lives By. Visit http://www.PatMixon.com for more info, to sample or to buy.

Pat Mixon is a sportswriter and author. His latest book is called The Kobe Code- Eight Principles for Success: The Unauthorized Biography: An Insider's Look into NBA Player and Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant's Warrior Life. You can find this book at SimpleIndie.com, Amazon.com, Smashwords.com and most other online book retailers. The book is also available in Print. See his website below for more info.

Pat is also a Featured Columnist for one of the largest sports websites in the U.S., The Bleacher Report.com. His articles are also read on Bleacher Report partners such as LA Times, CBS Sports.com, and USA Today, to just name a few.

Pat's an avid basketball fan, having both played and followed the sport for nearly 20 years. He loves all things basketball, including college and the NBA but his real love and passion are the Los Angeles Lakers, having been a fan of the Purple and Gold since his youth.

When Pat isn't watching, playing or writing about basketball, he is hard at work on his first fiction novel, a sports thriller. Pat lives in California with his wife.

Visit Pat's website at http://www.PatMixon.com.

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Top 5 Of Best Known NBA Players With Goggles in History

 Unlike, for example, football or hockey, basketball is a sport in which severe injuries still occur less frequently. Eye injuries definitely fall into that category, and in the rich history of the NBA many players have resorted to the only possible solution to protect themselves from further injury - protective goggles. Here is our Top 5 list of most famous NBA basketball players who wore goggles:

5. Horace Grant

An exceptional power forward for all the teams he played for, Grant was best known for his durable consistency and blue-collared approach to each and every game. Best known as a starter for Chicago Bulls team, which won three NBA titles from 1991-1993, Grant often changed the color of his goggle rims to match his team's colors.

4. Thurl Bailey

Bailey led 1983 North Carolina State Wolfpack in scoring and rebounding and was one of the key players in their miracle NCAA Championship run. Often spectacular and always sharp small forward was the seventh overall pick by Jazz in the 1983 NBA Draft. He was important to the team's success in the late 1980-ties. After his playing days were over he converted to a Mormon religion and resides in Utah.

3. Kurt Rambis

Kurt Rambis was a typical "blue-collar" forward whose defense and rebounding initiated many of the Magic Johnson's spectacular fastbreak plays. He wore Buddy Holly-style glasses along with a mustache. After signing with the Lakers in 1981, Rambis spent an unbelievable 14 seasons with the team and helped them win as much as four NBA titles during the 1980-ties.

2. James Worthy

After being a teammate of legendary Michael Jordan on North Carolina Tar Heel team that won NCAA title in 1982, lighting quick forward went on to share the floor with Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, winning as much as three NBA titles. Often spectacular finisher on the fast-break and unstoppable in 1-on-1 situations, Worthy was named MVP of 1988 NBA Finals.

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

As one of the greatest players of all time, Kareem holds the record for most points scored by an NBA player in a career with 38387.
Known as Lew Alcindor he became the dominant force in New York City high school basketball. He continued his stellar career in NCAA while playing for John Wooden's UCLA and was drafted first overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1969 NBA Draft.
Playing for Lakers and Bucks from 1969-1989 Jabbar collected a Rookie of the Year award, six NBA titles, six MVP awards and as much as19 NBA All-Star appearances. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wore goggles for protection ever since having his cornea scratched in an NCAA game against University of California in January 1968.

For more information about protective glasses and eye injuries, please visit http://www.basketball-goggles.com

Shaquille's Top 13 Nicknames!

1. Shaq: This nickname has been used so universally for so long that some people actually don't know that "Shaq" is short for his given name of Shaquille, which is Arabic for "Little Warrior."

2. Superman: Shaq is obsessed with the Man of Steel. He has a Superman tattoo on his arm, a Superman logo on several of his cars, a logo etched onto a leather jacket, and he can often be seen wearing Superman t-shirts, necklaces, and other paraphernalia. He even starred in Steel, a crappy movie about a man who was himself a cheap Superman knockoff. The dude flat out wants to be Superman. Sure it's crazy, but are you gonna tell him "no"?

3. Diesel: Also spoken as "Shaq Diesel." This nickname supposedly indicates that he has the power and endurance of a diesel engine. Or maybe it's because of the weird burning smell that follows him everywhere.

4. Daddy: Also spoken as "Shaq Daddy" and "The Big Daddy." Although he's estranged from his biological father, Shaq is extremely close to his step-father Phillip Harrison (whom O'Neal credits for making him the monstrous, hulking man he is today). Shaq himself has fathered five children and likes to act as a sort of big brother/father figure to his younger teammates.

5. M.D.E (Most Dominant Ever): Shaq began referring to himself as the M.D.E. after leading the Lakers to three straight NBA titles from 2000 to 2002. Despite missing a slew of games during those years and of course being very fat, Shaq was virtually unstoppable in the playoffs and especially the Finals (where he averaged close to 40 PPG). People use this nickname to mock him now, but back then it was pretty hard to argue against it.

6. The Big [Whatever]: Shaq loves giving himself new nicknames that begin with "The Big" and end with a grandiose reference, usually to some other famous person or thing. These nicknames have included the "The Big Aristotle" (as a reference to the consistent greatness that won him the 2000 NBA MVP) , "The Big Maravich" (for making nine free throws in a row against the Portland Trailblazers in the playoffs), "The Big Felon" (for making a game-saving steal against the Orlando Magic), "The Big IPO" (because his stock was way, way up), and "The Big Baryshnikov" (comparing his low post moves to the dance work of famous Russian ballet artist Mikhail Baryshnikov).

Basketbawful Fun Fact: Elgin Baylor sarcastically referred to Wilt Chamberlain as "The Big Musty" because the huge center rarely showered or washed his uniform. It is unknown whether that nickname influenced Shaq, or whether Shaq himself takes showers.

7. L.C.L. (Last Center Left): One of Shaq's biggest complaints -- and there are many -- is how the center position has been almost totally redefined. Instead of huge, indomitable pivot-men, today's NBA centers are smaller, faster, and more "versatile" (i.e., they shoot threes instead of posting up strong and taking it to hoop). For this reason, Shaq feels that he is the last true center in the NBA, and perhaps the world (that sound you just heard was Yao Ming's heart breaking).

8. Wilt Chamberneazy: This nickname was coined by former teammate Kobe Bryant as a sort of homage/comparison to Wilt Chamberlain. Shaq considers it his favorite nickname and even had it printed on his baseball cap.

9. Doctor Shaq: This nickname was invented in 2005 as a way to dis Andrew Bynum, Shaq's "replacement" on the Lakers. Bynum claimed that he was similar to Shaq, except that he made his freethrows. Never one to take insults lightly, Shaq responded thus: "Tell him Shaq doesn't respond to juvenile delinquents without a college degree. Tell him to get his degree and we can talk. In the meantime, he should call me Dr. Shaq because I'm working on my PhD." Shaq originally stated that he was going to earn his doctorate in "either criminology or art history," but instead opted to accept honorary degrees in Shaq-Fu and Kazaamology.

10. Shaq Albert: Back in 2003, Mark Cuban tried to give his Dallas Mavericks an edge over the Lakers by playing a specially prepared cartoon on the team's jumbotron during a timeout. The cartoon depicted Shaq's face on the body of cartoon character Fat Albert and was accompanied by a voiceover that criedout, "Hey, hey, hey, I'm Shaq Albert!" Instead of killing Cuban with one clubbing blow, Shaq laughed until he was doubled over. Which obviously was hard for someone as fat as he was.

11. The Big Deporter: (This should be included in number 6, but it deserved its own entry.) In 2000, after eliminating Arvydas Sabonis and Rik Smits from the playoffs, Shaq dubbed himself "The Big Deporter" (both players were outspoken about returning to their native countries after getting eliminated).

12: Osama Bin Shaq: Shaq gave himself this nickname "for terrorizing Keith Van Horn under the boards" during the 2002 NBA Finals.

13. The Big Banana: (Again, this one deserved its own entry) After getting gangbanged with criticism for his "Osama Bin Shaq" nickname, Shaq renamed himself "The Big Banana" because "I peel the life out of the Nets."

source:

http://basketbawful.blogspot.com/2007/09/shaqs-top-14-nicknames.html

Shaquille O'Neal Tattoos - The Superman of Steel

By Rupert Mayer

 Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal, better known as Shaq, or The Diesel, or Shaq Fu, or even The Big Aristotle (for his wisdom!), or The Big Daddy, Superman, The Big Agave, The Big Cactus, The Big Shaqtus, The Big Galactus, Wilt Chamberneezy, The Big Baryshnikov, The Real Deal, Dr. Shaq and recently also Shaqovic is the only NBA active player in the top list of the 50 best players of all times.

Shaq is a huge 7 feet 1 inch, 325 pounds man often defined as the most dominant player in the NBA. Such a physical power has always been supported by an equally monstrous ego, which makes Shaw one of the most arrogant and conceited player ever. That said, I must admit I love this big guy. He is arrogant, of course, but in a funny way.

Shaquille o'Neil has won whatever a basketball player could ever dream to win. He is a quite successful rapper and he is the star of his own reality show, Shaq Vs., in which he uses his entire ego to challenge the best athletes in the world in several different sport disciplines. He also runs a twitter account with something more than a million followers! A successful person, for sure.

His huge body is also a perfect big canvas for tattoo artworks. He has got quite a few tattoos, but the funny thing about them is that he had to ask his mother before getting them. Here The Big Agave's words: "First of all, I got my tattoos because I was allowed to get them. You better believe I asked my mother first."

It's not easy to recognize all of his tattoos. Some of them are pretty huge, some other are not clear enough to tell what they really are. Here is what I could find out about Shaquille Tattoos:

Shaq is one of the many NBA players who decided to have his own nickname engraved on skin. Shaq chose Diesel, among his many pseudonyms, as tattoo for his left shoulder. He got it just above his favourite tattoo, perennial sign of his immortal ego: the big "S" of Superman. Not yet satisfied, he has also added the inscription "Man of Steel" to it.

More difficult to distinguish are the tattoo designs on Shaq's right shoulder and arm. One of them should be displaying his daughter name Amirah, but I cannot say it for sure.

  Two more controversial inscriptions say: "The world is mine" and "Against the Law" because, as Shaq explains, "My game's so good, there has to be a law to stop it".

Another interesting tattoo design on his right arm portrays a fist holding a diamond.

Some other recognizable tattoos on Shaq body are the word "BIG" and the design of a huge muscled man, in a Hulk style, maybe depicting Shaquille himself, on his right forearm.

Shaquille o'Neal has got some other great tattoo designs, I can see some words inked on his left wrist, for example, but I cannot really say what they say.
Shall you find out more, please contact me, I am really interested in Shaq tattoos meaning.

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10 Best NBA Players Ever

By Erin Baker

1. Micheal Jordan

 

 Jordan really didn't have much weakness in his basketball game. He was a relentless defender as witnessed by his 9 All defensive 1st team selections and also winning a defensive player of the year award. He was also by far the most dominant offensive force of his generation, routinely having to battle double and triple teams every game yet still scoring at a career 30.1 PPG pace. Clutch shooting was also his forte as he hit so many game winning shots and his stats only improved in the playoffs when it really mattered. Micheal Jordan had 10 Scoring tiles, 5 season MVP awards, 6 Finals MVP awards and 6 championship titles.

2. Wilt Chamberlain

 

Statistically Wilt Chamberlain should be number one on this list. In a single game he once scored 100 pts by himself! In another game he scored 58 pts and pulled down 45 rebounds. His most amazing stat I think is that he never once fouled out of a NBA game in his entire career. He had absolutely off the chart career numbers 30.1 PPG, 22.9 RPG, .540 FGP %. Chamberlain was over 7 ft tall, could run and jump like a gazelle and was one of the strongest men on two feet. On the downside Wilt only won one NBA championship and was a notorious poor free throw shooter.
He may have won more championships if he didn't have to face the great Celtics team of his era almost every year in the playoffs.

3. Bill Russell

You can not argue with winning and Bill Russell and his Celtics won 11 and I repeat 11 NBA Championships.
Not much more to say about Bill other then he was a fierce competitor, tenacious rebounder, consumate team player and a born winner.

4. Kareem Abdul Jabbar

Where to start, Most total points in the NBA ever at 38,387. Kareem won 6 NBA Championships with career averages of
24.6 PPG and 11.2 RPG. Jabbar was a basketball phenom and his famed "Sky-hook" was his unblockable signature shot that kept finding the twine for 1560 NBA games.

5. Larry Bird

Larry "legend" Bird was a renowned clutch shooter, equally adept at the 3 point line and the free throw. Bird won 3 NBA Championships and 3 season MVP awards finishing his career with averages of 24.3 ppg and 10 rpg. A great team player and leader who could back up any of his trash talk on the court.

6. Magic Johnson

Johnson put the show in "Showtime" in Los Angeles. His behind the back passes, amazing shots and flair for the dramatic were all part of his game. Magic was a towering PG who could play all 5 positions on the court.
5 NBA Championships and 3 Season MVP awards are just some of the numerous awards in Johnson's great NBA career.
Magic Johnson could have easily been # 5 on this list but I could only choose one.

7. Jerry West

Jerry West also know as "Mr. Clutch" was an all star every year for 14 years he played in the NBA . West led his Lakers to the NBA finals 9 times in his career winning only 1 championship. 6 of those finals losses would come to the great Celtics team of his era. West was a perfectionist at his craft and was known to be a great defender and excellent shot. Only one player Micheal Jordan has a higher scoring average in the NBA playoffs then Jerry West. Career averages of 27 ppg, 6.7 Apg and 5.8 RPG reflect his basketball greatness.

8. Oscar Robertson

Considered by many to be the perfect all around skilled player. In only his second NBA season he averaged a triple double for an entire season! Robertson won one NBA championship and had career averages of 25.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG and 9.5 APG.

9. Shaquille O'Neal

Shaquille also known as "Shaq" has dominated the Paint and dunked on opposing players at an alarming rate. At 7"1 and 325 pounds O'Neal is a physical force that can not be stopped. Shaq dominated the late 90's and into the new millenium Winning 4 NBA Championships with career averages of 24.7 PPG and 11.2 RPG with a .582 FG %.
An unstoppable Post up game he is the most feared big man to ever put on a NBA jersey. Poor free throw shooting and not much outside shooting range are some of his few weaknesses.

10. Tim Duncan

Probably one of the most underrated yet most fundamental player on this list. Tim Duncan has a huge basketball IQ and knows how to play the game as it should be played.Some of Duncans many skills include great footwork, excellent bank shots and being able to change opposing players shots. Quietly winning 4 NBA championships he has amassed career averages of 21.4 PPG and 11.7 RPG and 2.3 BPG.
These are my top 10 NBA players of all time. Some players who are still competing have a chance to maybe make this list in the future notably Kobe Bryant, Lebron James and Dwayne Wade.
Erin Baker is an author and the owner of a great shopping website Air Jordans [http://www.shoes-basketball.com/] featuring Athletic Shoes and NBA jerseys. This article may be used only if kept entirely intact with the author's name and URL

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Why the NBA Playoffs are More Exciting Than They Used to Be

By Nishan Wilde

8 in a row and 10 out of 12.

6 in a row.

5 out of 10.

At first glance, these numbers seem like batting averages or shooting percentages. If they were, they would be pretty impressive. However, these numbers are even more striking as the realization sets in that they represent the number of times a single NBA team has won the championship. The legendary Celtics of the '50's and '60's won 8 straight titles and 10 out 12 from 1957 to 1969 under Red Auerbach. With Michael Jordan at the helm, the Chicago Bulls won the championship 6 straight times and won every finals in which they appeared. During the 1980's, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the rest of the Lakers won 5 championships and appeared in 3 more finals.

 Simply put, during these eras in basketball history, you pretty much knew what was going to happen in the playoffs. The Celtics were going to stifle their opponents with unpenetrable defense, the Lakers were going to employ their unstoppable "showtime" tactics, and the Bulls were going to let Jordan loose. Even though each of these teams exhibited sublime poise and talent, the playoffs were only exciting for the fans of the aformentioned teams. As close as the opposition got to winning, fans around the country knew who was going to eventually win the championship. The lack of anticipation and suspense created a less exciting atmosphere for basketball fans.

However, as of late, the NBA playoffs have been more up in the air. Aside from a few years dominated by the Lakers and the Spurs, the playoffs have been less of a forgone conclusion, attracting more and more viewers each year. During this decade alone, 4 different teams have already won the championship, inlcuding two teams (the Pistons and the Heat) who haven't won the championship in a long time.

I tend to compare these two eras in NBA history to watching movies. The earlier years, dominated by the former NBA titans, were tantamount to watching the same movie over and over again. Even though the movie is a classic, it gets a little boring. Knowing what happens in the final scene takes away from the experience. However, seeing teams like the Warriors and Cavaliers make the playoffs and upset some of the better teams in the league is like watching a twisted Steven King film. You are amazed and surprised when it happens, and you still can't believe it long after it ends. In short, lack of knowledge is preferable to knowing the outcome. Does that mean that it would be good for the league for the Bulls, Lakers and Celtics never to win the championship again? No. In fact, when they do, we feel a sense of nostalgia, much like a watching a classic we had seemingly forgotten about. Nevertheless, variety is the spice of life and when new teams do well in the NBA playoffs, it makes for a more exciting summer.

For the best in Sports/Gym Bags go to RobbinsSports.com

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Shaqille O'Neal's divorce?

Shaunie O’Neal filed for divorce from Shaq back in November, shortly after rumors emerged that Shaq was messing around with Gilbert Arenas’ fiance. Just this week reports said Shaq and Shaunie reached a divorce settlement so there’s no doubt now that the two are done. We can never be certain regarding the reason for divorce, but we do know it has to do with Shaq fooling around with other women. Take what Shaunie told Essence Magazine for example:

Miami is a great city. It just wasn’t a great city for our marriage. I know they say L.A. has its groupies, but Miami has a different mentality. Even going to the games, the whole environment is so different. Girls are practically sitting in their bra and panties in the arena. When you’re trying to keep your husband, that’s a lot to take. It was a whole new lifestyle I wasn’t ready for. Apparently we didn’t have a strong enough foundation for Shaq to withstand that type of temptation,

From what I remember about Kobe’s comments to the police in Eagle, Colorado, Shaq’s been paying off chicks since his LA days. Yeah, that would render Shaunie’s comments pretty inaccurate, but who am I to talk? After all, Shaq blamed Kobe for his marriage problems before telling Kobe to taste his tuchus. Shaunie may be complaining about the Miami crowds but at least they were drawing fans when Shaq on the team. Guarantee you Micky Arison wishes they had those days back. 

Shaunie on finally confronting Shaq about the infidelity rumors:
“He would deny it sometimes, and other times he would ask, ‘You got pictures? Video? If not, don’t come at me because you have no proof.’ He’d say, ‘Okay, you’re mad. Now what? You’re not going anywhere."

Shaunie on being accused of cheating on Shaq with her personal trainer:
“I worked out at home with my trainer, my sister, her husband and my girlfriend. I was a good girl. I wouldn’t even entertain a man flirting with me. I was that conservative. But when those rumors came out, I felt I was so small and Shaq was so big that it didn’t matter what I said; nobody was going to believe me. All I was thinking was, How could this happen to me? I had no idea how I was going to pick up the pieces. I was just done.”

Shaunie on the state of her relationship with Shaq today:
“We are becoming friends, and it’s nice because it’s something we really lacked in our marriage. I enjoy being able to talk openly to him, and I think we both learned a lot from each other during this time.”

Sources:

http://hellobeautiful.com/your-world/news-gossip/hello-beautiful-staff/shaunie-shaq-reach-divorce-settlement/

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/sports/Shaunie-Its-Miamis-Fault-Marriage-to-Shaq-Ended-87587512.html

What You Need to Win an NBA Championship

By Jim Sweet

  Only about half of the teams in the NBA have actually won an NBA Championship which means they haven't been doing something right on management's end since the franchise started. Out of the 17 teams that have actually won the championship, eight teams only have one ring while six have four or less. The Bulls are the team in the middle of the pack with six NBA Championships in which all of them came after the year 1991 when the Bulls had Michael Jordan the greatest basketball player to ever play the game. The last two teams on the list of champions in the Lakers (16 championships) and the Celtics (17 championships) these two teams must have been doing something right over the years in order to win more than half of all the NBA Championships ever and I'm going to explain it to you right now.

#1. The very 1st thing that a team needs to have is defense. It goes the same in pretty much every sport out there that defense wins championships and it's no different in basketball. If you look back to recent NBA Championship winners you can tell they many of them have been defensive teams. The Lakers Kobe Bryant has been on the NBA defensive team 10 times throughout his NBA career and Ron Artest has been on the team for 4 years. With the Spurs and their Championship run they had Tim Duncan who has been there 13 times, Bruce Bowen 8 times, and David Robinson 8 times. Even when the Bulls made their run with 6 Championships with MJ the team was still defensive minded. Michael Jordan who had been on the NBA's defensive team 9 times, Scottie Pippen's been on it 10 times, and they also had Dennis Rodman who was on it 8 times. So out of those teams they all had at least 2 players on the roster who were considered to be elite defensive players. During the regular season you can have a great offensive and put up a ton of points in order to win games and you might win 60 games like the Mavs and Suns did in past seasons but since neither of them have an average defensive team they would always end up falling in the playoffs when teams take their game up a notch.


#2. The 2nd thing that you need is 2 All Stars on your team. It has been proven year after year that one guy can never do it on his own. For example Kobe Bryant tried to do it a couple years and could never get past the 1st round of the playoffs even though he was the MVP of the league he didn't have another All Star to back him up when he had a bad night. Another example is LeBron James with the Cavs. He has won back to back MVPs and yet he still hasn't won an NBA Championship because he doesn't have another All Star to help him. It doesn't matter how good one guy is he can never do it alone. Even the greatest player ever Michael Jordan needed Scottie Pippen in order to win. With the Lakers Kobe always had Shaq or Gasol, the Spurs had Tim Duncan and David Robinson along with the great defense. The Celtics of 2008 might have had the best team ever with 3 All Stars in Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett and the best defense in the league. The Bulls have a huge chance this off season to get that 2nd All Star in their team to help Derrick Rose out. They have their choice from about 10 All Stars and the MVP of the NBA in LeBron James. If the Bulls can somehow get 2 free agents with the 30 million dollars that they have available to them they might possibly be a lock to make it to the NBA Championship in 2011.

#3. Inside shooting is also a necessity if you want to win an NBA Championship. 75% of the teams that have won an NBA Championship have had some type of low post scorer. The list can go on and on with players like Shaq O'Neil, Pau Gasol, Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Kevin Garnett. Yes outside shooting is a great thing and can win games for you every other night but it is not usually a consistent way to score. During the course of your NBA Championship run you are going to come across road blocks where you can't seem to buy a bucket as they say. When that time comes that is when you need that big man down low to back somebody up and take over the game with some easy baskets close to the rim.

#4. This is the last thing that a team needs in order to win a Championship and some people think it might be the most important and that is HEART. You have to be able to actually want to win and believe you are going to win in order to actually win. Just because you have the players and the talent doesn't mean you will win it automatically and the other teams are just going to give up. Every member of the team needs to be able to lay it all on the line every night in order to win an NBA Championship. Little things help you win games for example diving for a loose ball or putting both of your hands up on defense in order to create a steal. Those types of plays bring the best out of your teammates, knowing that you are trying your best to win a game.

I have been a Chicago Bulls fan since I can remember and I would like to see the Bulls go on another dominating run like they did in the 90's. That is why I have wrote a few articles on the Bulls

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