PHIL JACKSON, 75 YEARS OLD

While Pat Riley and the Lakers dominated the NBA during the ‘80s, it was Phil Jackson and the Chicago Bulls who took over the ‘90s. And to Phil’s credit, more than being one of the most successful coaches in the NBA, he was also a champion player. He played as a power forward and won two championships playing for the New York Knicks back in 1970 and 1973.

His coaching career started as being the assistant coach of the New Jersey Nets from 1978-1981. He would then coach for several teams in other basketball associations and would come back to the NBA in 1987 as an assistant coach of the Chicago Bulls. And in 1989, he was promoted to head coach. The Bulls, under the coaching of Phil and the leadership of Michael Jordan, went on to six championships through the ‘90s — two, three consecutive championship wins. After the Jordan era in 1998, Phil took a year off and returned to the NBA to coach the Los Angeles Lakers. He coached the Lakers from 1999-2004 and 2005 to 2011. Throughout those years, he led the Lakers to five championship wins.