- Phil Jackson re-joined the Los Angeles Lakers as their head coach on June 14, 2005, under a year after he left the team to take time off from coaching
- Enters the 2005-06 NBA season as the NBA's career leader in playoff victories and playoff winning percentage
- Phil Jackson has won nine NBA titles, tying Red Auerbach for the most all-time
- Guided the Lakers to three titles in his first stint as their head coach from 1999-2004
- Guided the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships in his nine years as head coach from 1989-1998
- Going into the 2005-06 season, Phil Jackson owns a career coaching record of 832-316, his .725 winning percentage the NBA's best
- Career playoff record of 175-69, his winning percentage of .717 also heading the list
- Phil Jackson's parents were evangelical ministers
- As a basketball player in the 1970s, Phil Jackson mostly played for the New York Knicks
- Spends summers enjoying peace and quiet in rural Montana
- Phil Jackson's triangle offense helped Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls and Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers win multiple championships
- Jackson had a 13-year playing career
- Played college ball at North Dakota under future NBA head coach Bill Fitch
- Was a 6-8 thin, gawky player who hustled, dove for loose balls and played rugged defense
- Phil Jackson was drafted on the second round by the Knicks, the 17th overall selection
- Underwent spinal fusion surgery and missed the Knicks' first championship season, 1969-70, but was a key reserve on the team that won the title in 1972-73
- 11.1 points per game in 1973-74 was his highest output
- Played in New York until 1978, when he went to the New Jersey Nets as a player-assistant coach
- Phil Jackson retired in 1980 after 13 years in the league, having averaged 6.7 points and 4.3 rebounds over 807 contests
- Also coached Albany Patroons of Continental Basketball Association, won a title
