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Journey to the Ring: Behind the Scenes with the 2010 NBA Champion Lakers
Journey to the Ring pairs Phil Jackson, the NBA's most successful coach, and Andrew D. Bernstein, the NBA's senior director of photography, in an exciting, behind-the-scenes re-creation of the Los Angeles Lakers' 2009-10 championship season. Having long built a trust with the NBA's biggest stars, Bernstein is given access to the Lakers' practices, team planes, training room, coach's office, game-day meetings, and off-the-court glimpses. Peek in on Chef Phil preparing a Jackson family Thanksgiving dinner, and more. Jackson, coach of eleven NBA championship teams, gives insight into games, practices, his players, and what he is saying in the huddle. What sets Journey to the Ring apart is the deep appreciation Jackson and Bernstein share for the depth of black-and-white photography, which is elegantly reproduced here in four-color black-and-white processing. It is a look into the eyes of a team that gave L.A. its first NBA Finals' Game 7 victory over the Boston Celtics.
216 pages, Hardcover
First published October 31, 2010
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About the author
Phil Jackson
48 books270 followersPhilip Douglas Jackson is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive. A power forward, Jackson played 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning championships with the New York Knicks in 1970 and 1973. Regarded as one of the greatest coaches of all time, Jackson was the head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 to 1998, leading them to six NBA championships. He then coached the Los Angeles Lakers from 1999 to 2004 and again from 2005 to 2011; the team won five league titles under his leadership. Jackson's 11 NBA titles as a coach surpassed the previous record of nine set by Red Auerbach. He holds numerous other records as a coach, such as most postseason wins (229), and most NBA Conference titles (13).
Jackson is known for his use of Tex Winter's triangle offense as well as a holistic approach to coaching that was influenced by Eastern philosophy, garnering him the nickname "Zen Master". Jackson cited Robert Pirsig's book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance as one of the major guiding forces in his life. He also applied Native American spiritual practices as documented in his book Sacred Hoops. He is the author of several candid books about his teams and his basketball strategies. In 2007, Jackson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. In 1996, as part of celebrations for the NBA's 50th anniversary, Jackson was named one of the 10 greatest coaches in league history.
Jackson retired from coaching in 2011 and joined the Knicks as an executive in March 2014. He was dismissed as the Knicks' team president in 2017.
Jackson is known for his use of Tex Winter's triangle offense as well as a holistic approach to coaching that was influenced by Eastern philosophy, garnering him the nickname "Zen Master". Jackson cited Robert Pirsig's book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance as one of the major guiding forces in his life. He also applied Native American spiritual practices as documented in his book Sacred Hoops. He is the author of several candid books about his teams and his basketball strategies. In 2007, Jackson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. In 1996, as part of celebrations for the NBA's 50th anniversary, Jackson was named one of the 10 greatest coaches in league history.
Jackson retired from coaching in 2011 and joined the Knicks as an executive in March 2014. He was dismissed as the Knicks' team president in 2017.
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April 12, 2011
On a more personal level comes “Journey to the Ring: Behind the Scenes with the 2010 NBA Champion Lakers” which features the photography of Andrew Bernstein and text by Phil Jackson. Clearly a labor of love, Jackson and Bernstein capture a single championship season in the world of this world famous sports dynasty. What sets this book apart from most other books about teams, is the behind-the-scenes access granted photographer Bernstein and the away from the action commentary by Jackson.
As the dominant NBA team of the last two decades, the Lakers can sometimes be viewed as larger than life, but “Journey” serves to show them as real people, with real dedication to the game, not just on the court, but for what appears to be nearly every waking minute during the season. Bernstein’s use of black and white throughout gives the book a very documentary feel, while the amount of off court coverage – from busses to planes to workouts to fan interaction – demonstrates that the life of a player is much more than you see on TV.
In the end, the book is a story. A story of a group of people who look out for one another and dedicate their every move to the pursuit of the common goal. The fact that they achieved their 10th NBA title under their current ownership only serves to make the story have its big payoff at the end. Something that was not a sure thing at the outset, but for Bernstein in particular, (Jackson’s had his share) certainly a welcome relief.
As the dominant NBA team of the last two decades, the Lakers can sometimes be viewed as larger than life, but “Journey” serves to show them as real people, with real dedication to the game, not just on the court, but for what appears to be nearly every waking minute during the season. Bernstein’s use of black and white throughout gives the book a very documentary feel, while the amount of off court coverage – from busses to planes to workouts to fan interaction – demonstrates that the life of a player is much more than you see on TV.
In the end, the book is a story. A story of a group of people who look out for one another and dedicate their every move to the pursuit of the common goal. The fact that they achieved their 10th NBA title under their current ownership only serves to make the story have its big payoff at the end. Something that was not a sure thing at the outset, but for Bernstein in particular, (Jackson’s had his share) certainly a welcome relief.
Displaying 1 of 1 review