Ayt 2. Oturum Tamamı Çözümlü 5 Deneme itibaren Pegem Akademi Yayıncılık içinde LIT biçim

Mayank Dhingra mayank297 — Having read Sacred Hoops, I knew a bit about the philosophy about life and basketball of Phil Jackson---it's "Zen plus 1980s American equals winning, baby". I was thus interested to read about his book on the losing season, albeit in the NBA Finals, with the talented Lakers team of the 2003-2004. The Last Season has bits about them all: the passion, the travails, the fratricide, the loss. Before discussing the book, a bit of (NBA) basketball history is needed. Prior to "the last season", Phil Jackson gained the reputation of an old-school basketball trainer (no-nonsense, obeying the rules of the basketball gods play) with a "no prisoners" philosophy (his winning relationship with the Chicago Bulls ended acrimoniously, with the then-general manager Jerry Krause refusing to re-hire Jackson after Jackson refused to acknowledge Krause's contribution to the victories.) Jackson was also known for his way of interpreting his religion of maturity, Zen Buddhism, as a basketball philosophy; his triangle offense was, in his opinion, a way to follow the Zen path. This basketball strategy offers good opportunities for each player on the court and rewards patient play; thus, it is rare in the NBA, where most teams play exclusively for their superstar player and athleticism (speed of play) are considered the major attraction. Before joining the Lakers, Jackson acquired six titles with a team starring Michael Jordan, whom he was able to convince to submit to the rigors of the triangle offense. With the Lakers, Jackson had the opportunity to coach Kobe Bryant, a young gun considered then Jordan-calibre, and Shaquille O'Neill, the superstar of the league at the peak of his powers. However, the triangle offense was difficult to accept for these two superstars; after three consecutive championships, the team lost in the Conference Semi-Finals to a weaker but better-integrated team (the San Antonio Spurs), in the 2002-2003 season. The 2003-2004 season was to confirm or destroy Jackson's reputation as a team-maker. Will Kobe become part of the team? Will Shaq agree to play second-fiddle to Kobe? Will the team continue to sacrifice if the two superstars were not contributing their share? The Last Season answers these and many other questions. Jackson does not spare his arrows, and tells us about how Bryant was uncoachable, Shaq was lazy, the team's general manager a schemer, the team owner ungrateful, etc. (All these form the less interesting part of the book.) He also tells us of the atmosphere in the team in the aftermath of Koby's rape scandal, of dealing with the numerous injuries, of the work ethic of the two all-star additions to the team (Karl Malone and Gary Payton), of his decisions on and off the court, of his relationship with the media, of his personal life. Oh, and about the loss in the finals to another underdog... Overall, it was an interesting, albeit rather gossipy, read from the core of the game. Thumbs up!