We’re already missing Phil Jackson from the NBA

The most successful coach in NBA history retired earlier this summer, taking a creative and needling personality with him.

Phil Jackson could raise the hackles of Spurs Nation better than any opposing coach. Like the time he said the Spurs’ 1998-99 championship deserved an asterisk because it was played with only 50 regular-season games. Or when he called Gregg Popovich and his coaching staff “The Simulator Crew” because of their lack of NBA playing experience.

But it’s true that the NBA will be a little less interesting without Jackson around next season.

His old friend and one-time assistant on his Albany Patroons staff, Charley Rosen, had an about Jackson and his unique coaching style.

Jackson had a way of directing his team that was decidedly his own. Like using smoldering leaves of white sage to cleanse his locker room of negative energy. Or beating a tom-tom to attract positive energy. Or his meditation exercises that were meant to identify his team’s personal “safe” spots on a bench.

We won’t see any of this from Popovich, Doc Rivers, Rick Carlisle or Erik Spoelstra.

And the NBA will be less interesting because of it.

But in case any of Spurs Nation is wondering if Jackson has become a reclusive hermit at his Montana compound, fear not.

His girlfriend, Jeanie Buss, had a tweet over the Fourth of July that informed us all that Jackson is enjoying his retirement — at least so far. (Hat tip to Sports by Brooks.com)

“Wishing all a happy reflective 4th of July,” . “Phil sent this (picture) from MT. You can take the man out of Woodstock but…”

Actually, Jackson looked like he might be getting ready for the motorcycle rallies at Sturgis, S.D., next month .

And he was only missing the giant red, white and blue hat and the extended index finger to be mistaken for Uncle Sam.

Pop’s $6M yearly contract tied for fifth among all sports coaches

With the recent retirement of Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich now is tied for second among the NBA’s highest-paid coaches.

Forbes Magazine reports thattrails only the new five-year deal recently signed by Boston’s Doc Rivers among NBA coaches. That contract will pay Rivers $7 million per year. New York Knicks’ coach Mike D’Antoni also makes $6 million per year.

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick is the highest-paid coach, according to industry analysts quoted by Forbes. Belichick is estimated to be making $7.5 million per season.

Forbes . It reads: “The NBA version of Belichick, Popovich just keeps winning year after year, bagging a few titles along the way.”

Here is Forbes’ list of the highest salaries for North American sports head  coaches

Bill Belichick, New England Patriots                     $7.5 million

Mike Shanahan, Washington Redskins                 $7 million

Doc Rivers, Boston Celtics                                        $7 million

Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks                                 $7 million

Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs                     $6 million

Lovie Smith, Chicago Bears                                       $6 million

Mike D’Antoni, New York Knicks                            $6 million

Ken Whisenhunt, Arizona Cardinals                     $5.75 million

Tom Coughlin, New York Giants                             $5.25 million

Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers                            $5 million    

Source: Forbes  Magazine

Rivers wants to build the Celtics with the Spurs as a template

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

There assuredly are a lot of copycats around the NBA. Gregg Popovich said only minutes after the Spurs were eliminated from the playoffs that he couldn’t wait to pluck a few ideas from those teams still playing.

Former Spurs player and television analyst Doc Rivers, a close friend of Popovich, has seen a few things with his old franchise he’d like to replicate with Boston.

And now armed with an NBA-best $7 million yearly contract, Rivers will be aiming to rebuild the Celtics like he’s seen the Spurs and the Utah Jazz do over recent seasons.   

“I look at the Utah situation and Jerry Sloan,” Rivers said on his weekly radio show on Boston radio station WEEI and . “And I look at the situation in San Antonio (with Popovich). (Boston general manager) Danny (Ainge) and I were talking — those are the two more stable franchises, because they’ve had the same coach and the same GM and the same ownership. They’ve been able to draft well, scout well, pick the right players for the system because they’ve known the system. When we talked about it, that’s what we want to do.”

It says something about the Spurs and their respect around the league when the coach of a franchise that has qualified for the last three NBA Finals would like to build his team after one that hasn’t advanced out of the second round in that same period.

Rivers has seen the Spurs franchise built and maintained from the inside as one of the league’s most successful franchises over the Tim Duncan era.

And now, he’d like to do the same thing with his team.