Lakers coach aims to extend his record of 10 NBA championships, with no guarantee that he will be around next season. It's up to him,
however.
湖人教练意图打破自己10个NBA总冠军的纪录,他下赛季继续执教没有任何保证。然而这都取决于他自己。
The Lakers are entering the postseason for the 56th time in their history. Will it be their last with Phil Jackson?
湖人在历史上第56次进入季后赛,这是菲尔的最后一次季后赛了么?
Among the many story lines as the playoffs begin — Can Kobe Bryant win a fifth championship ring? Can the Lakers win their 16th title to
move within one of the Boston Celtics — is whether Jackson will come back next season.
The Lakers' coach has dropped hints that he might be done, particularly if he can't get messages through to players or if the Lakers don't
come close to repeating as champions. He knows the importance of the near future.
"Whatever brought me together with this team is kind of great fortune on my part and a great opportunity for me to coach great players," he
said. "Here's Kobe getting an opportunity to get his fifth championship ring. This is a penultimate moment. And [ Derek] Fisher too. There's
only a handful of players that can say that."
On top of the usual pressure to win a championship, Jackson, 64, is in the final year of a contract paying him $12 million this season.
赢得总冠军的路途中,杰克逊这个64岁的教练最大的压力是他到了合约年--本赛季工资1200万。
Whether he returns will be up to him, though he won't decide until after the season.
是否回归取决于他自己,尽管他赛季结束之后才会决定。
He has won more championships, 10, than any other coach in NBA history. If the Lakers get to the NBA Finals, it will be the 13th time he has
taken a team that far, tying him with NHL coaching legend Scotty Bowman for most trips to the finals in a major pro sport played in the U.S.
This time of the year eats at Jackson, despite his non-demonstrative demeanor on the bench and low-key approach at practices.
这是困扰着杰克逊的一年,尽管他没有标明自己对板凳的态度,以及在训练方法上的低调。
"My companions in life have told me often that I'm different over this six to eight weeks," Jackson said. "My sleep is disrupted. There's more anxiety over the game. It's hard. There's no downtime.
"Every play demands an energy response from players. This is what our preaching to these players is right now. Every play is a very
inspirational moment."
“每一个战术都需要球员们的积极响应。这是我们现在想要告诫球员们的。每一个战术都是鼓舞人心的时刻。”
Jackson typically lets his teams hunt and peck their way through the regular season, believing that the depth of learning will be stronger if
players figure out solutions on their own.
"He's not going to take time to let you figure it out," forward Lamar Odom said.
“他不会给你太多时间让你解决自身问题”前锋奥多姆说。
Or, as Fisher said, "You can tell that he's aware of what time of the season it is."
或者就像费舍尔说的“你可以说他无视赛季到了何种时刻。”
Few people understand what Jackson endures as coach of the Lakers. It's one thing to be in charge of the Memphis Grizzlies or Indiana Pacers,
where a successful playoff run is defined as simply getting there in the first place, but it's an entirely different entity to balance the
weight of a fan base and an owner that expects a title run every season.
"You've got to mentally always stay on top of your game, particularly when you're in a situation like him where there's an exorbitant amount
of expectation," said Minnesota Timberwolves Coach Kurt Rambis, who won four championships as a forward for the Lakers and another two as an assistant under Jackson. "Everybody expects to be back in the NBA Finals. Nothing short of that is acceptable. There's some pressure but
there's also some sort of excitement about that too, something that ‘adrenalizes' you in that type of edge-cutting, competitive environment.
"There's some aspect of NBA ball that he doesn't like — travel being one — but he just loves the sport, he loves the competition, he loves
the organizing of the team, the growth of the team, the maturity of the team, the development of the team throughout the season. It's
something that kind of makes his engine go."