Back in the saddle again ...

With all the championship rings he has won and all the fabulous athletes he has developed, Phil Jackson doesn't have to apologize for anything the has ever said or done or written as a basketball coach. All he has to do to maintain his immaculate image is to keep polishing his bust in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

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The record books are full of Jackson anecdotes, but the one that has always impressed us most is a little gesture that offers a special insight into his character as a coach.

Early in his career with the Chicago Bulls, he had to discipline a prima donna who had gone into a scoring slump and had to be benched for a couple of days. It made the Bull see red. He announced that he wasn't going to practice again until he was returned to the starting line-up.

You know what happens in such situations: a lot of shouting and a lot of garbage about who is right or wrong and who is going to give in first.

Phil Jackson didn't allow himself to panic or tinker with the team's morale. He simply sat back and waited until it was time to pat the player on his back and return him to the line-up--and keep him there until the team righted itself.