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Mindfulness in the NBA

Presenter:

Phil Jackson

Time:

4:52

Summary

When Phil Jackson began coaching the Chicago Bulls - and later the Los Angeles Lakers - he says he used the Zen philosophy of mindfulness to help build both teams. Watch as Phil explains why that practice helped build mental strength and find out what happened when he asked the most famous basketball player in the world to do tai chi, practice yoga, meditate and even play in the dark

Transcript

One of the things that you knew you had to do with the bulls in the beginning here in Chicago, and then moving on to the Lakers, especially with Kobe Bryant, and you knew you had to create a team, you had to build a team, and one of the ways you did that was the one breath, one mind. Can you explain how and what do the guys think of you coming in with your zen.


Here you are. I never costed in Zen stuff. You know, I, I approached it with mindfulness. Mindfulness, yes. You know, a lot of our players in the NBA are from deeply religious families. Very much like my background. Yes. Yeah. And, you know, anything that would come, uh, be a conflict of their religious beliefs. I didn't wanna to, to touch or get them upset.

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