Savage Words: That time I took Phil Jackson to his first practice

The NBA playoffs have arrived, and I always reminisce this time of year about my days working in the Association.

It was a blast, and memorable.

I spent two seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1999 and 2000. Those were obviously high-energy, high-pressured years, but again, I loved it, and I learned a lot.

Those two years also brought some unforgettable moments, especially for a kid who grew up on the east side of Sioux Falls who was just sort of feeling his way through his young career.

My first year in L.A., we lost in the Western Conference semifinals to the San Antonio Spurs, who went on to win the championship – their first of five over the next 14 seasons.

In the off-season, the Lakers front office went big in regards to their coaching staff. They fired Kurt Rambis following the defeat to the Spurs. To fill the void, they did what all Angelenos do – they went for the headlines, the glitz, the glamour, the big name.

One year removed from resigning as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls, where he led Michael Jordan and the gang to six titles in eight years, the Lakers plucked him from the unemployment line.

I was working in the Lakers PR department. Needless to say, when we hired Phil, it was a frenzy from the start. Again, I learned a lot … about managing media requests, and sharpening my writing skills at the highest level of sports. Trust me, when you make a mistake on NBA’s biggest stage, it’s glaring, and it doesn’t go away.

I grew a thicker skin with the Lakers. Had to.

I also learned to navigate my car on some of America’s most demanding roadways. Race car drivers in this area always tell me how hard it is to compete at Huset’s. National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Danny Lasoski once said that driving a sprint car at Huset’s is like flying a jetfighter in a gymnasium.

That sounds tough. But I’m guessing he’s likely never negotiated the 405 in L.A. during rush hour.

For whatever reason, I got the assignment from the Lakers to pick up Phil upon his arrival to Los Angeles to begin his coaching career of a team that included Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, and a host of other NBA stars.

I … did … not … want to screw this up.

So, the night before I was scheduled to pick Phil up from the Long Beach Airport, I drove the route from our apartment in Marina del Rey. I cruised down the 105 and hooked up with the 710, sending me south to Long Beach. I drove it twice, just to make sure I knew where I was going once I had my precious cargo with me the following day.

I even parked my car at the airport, went inside and found the gate. I walked it back-and-forth a few times, again, to make sure I didn’t go astray when Phil was with me the following day.

That was a Sunday night. I picked Phil up on Monday morning, and so far, so good.

But after a little chit-chat at the gate when we first met, things went off the rail for a second. When we got to the parking garage, I went to the wrong floor. I turned the corner, hoping to see my white Nissan Altima where I had parked it.

My heart dropped. The white Nissan scheduled to give Phil Jackson a lift to his first practice with the Lakers was not there. No doubt he was expecting a bit better transportation for his debut ride in L.A., but the white Nissan is what I had.

Thankfully, and after an awkward moment with arguably the greatest basketball coach the world has ever known, we went down one flight of stairs, and our chariot was there.

I drove Phil to Long Beach State University where the Lakers had already started practice with assistant coaches Jim Cleamons and Tex Winter leading the charge.

Almost immediately, Phil took his whistle, and began coaching the Lakers the Triangle Offense, an offense he used to coach the Bulls to their dynasty.

It was fascinating to watch. At the time, the term ‘Triangle Offense’ was held in the same regard as classical literature from Shakespeare. 

The mastermind to the Triangle Offense, which I later found out, was Tex Winter. I didn’t realize that until I got a call from The Sporting News Magazine a few days after Phil’s arrival in Long Beach.

The Sporting News was going to run a story about the Triangle Offense, complete with a diagram that tried to break it down for the average reader. They wanted me to confirm the diagram with Tex.

Bill Ledson, the editor in charge of the story at the magazine, sent me a FAX, requesting I get the confirmation. I still have that FAX.

Our practices at Long Beach lasted a few days. On the final day, I approached Tex for the first time. He had no idea who I was, but I was hanging around the entire week, so at least he recognized me.

“I hate to sound like an idiot here,” were my first words to Tex Winter. “But is this diagram an appropriate representation of the Triangle Offense?”

“Who wants to know,” he asked.

“The Celtics,” I said, with a smirk, hoping above anything else that he’d see my attempt at some humor to make things a little more comfortable.

Thankfully, he smiled.

I told him what it was actually for, and he nodded.

“Yea, that’s basically it,” he said.

And with that came the completion of a week I’ll never forget. I picked up Phil Jackson from the airport, got him lost for about two minutes, later watched him teach Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal the Triangle Offense, and cracked a joke with Tex Winter before confirming the renowned offense that defined the NBA for decades.

Not a bad week.