Jackson a ‘humbled’ Hall of Famer

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson, whose nine NBA championships tie him with Red Auerbach for the most in NBA history, headlined a class of seven to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in September.

Jackson, 61, guided the Lakers to three championships this decade and the Chicago Bulls to six in the 1990s.

“It’s remarkable, especially for a coach,” Jackson said of the announcement. “As a player, a lot of it’s for your individual achievements and actions. As a coach, it’s about a group of guys that have worked together in a joined effort. It also reflects decidedly on the organizations I’ve had great success with here in L.A. and Chicago in the ‘90s. I’m very humbled by the award.”

Others selected were North Carolina men’s Coach Roy Williams, the 1966 NCAA champion Texas Western team, longtime NBA referee Mendy Rudolph, four-time WNBA championship coach Van Chancellor, and international coaches Pedro Ferrandiz of Spain and Mirko Novosel of Yugoslavia.

Among the finalists who did not receive the required 18 of 24 votes from Hall of Fame committee members were TV analyst Dick Vitale, former college coach Eddie Sutton and former NBA All-Stars Chris Mullin and Adrian Dantley.

The induction ceremony will be held Sept. 8 in Springfield, Mass.

Jackson’s first-ballot entry into the Hall had been considered a sure thing, but it was met with enthusiasm by the Lakers.

“It’s awesome,” Kobe Bryant said. “It was a no-brainer just because of everything that he has accomplished. I’m extremely proud of him and happy for him. It’s pretty cool to be playing for a coach who’s in the Hall of Fame.”

Jackson is 916-387 (.703) in his NBA coaching career and reached 900 victories faster than any other coach in league history.

In 1996, he took the Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, through one of the most dominant NBA seasons ever, guiding them to a record-setting 72-10 mark before winning the fourth of their six championships that decade.

He also guided the Lakers through five seasons of success and soap-opera subplots, getting a lot from Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal on the court and keeping them together just long enough off the court to lead to NBA titles in 2000, 2001 and 2002.

Jackson has one more season in his three-year, $30-million contract with the Lakers. As is his custom, he declined to look too far into the future when asked how much longer he wanted to coach.

“They can read you like a book, these kids,” he said. “If you’re not there exacting and demanding, and energetic with it, I think they have a tendency to relax and you can’t drive them as hard.

“This year has been tough for us. Besides having a lot of injuries, just to keep them motivated in situations that have been depressing or have been despairing for this team. They’ve fought their way through it, and I think we’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel now.”

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