Phil Jackson in the Garden of Good and Evil

The 2003-04 Los Angeles Lakers were arguably the most compelling on-court spectacle since the 1992 U.S. Olympic "Dream" Team. In contrast to the gold medal heroes, this remarkable collection of talent in Tinseltown never dominated its opposition and came to rely consistently on individual acts of brilliance to eke out 4th quarter victories -- a dependency that ultimately led to the team's demise when matched against the cohesive and egalitarian Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals. The Last Season is Coach Phil Jackson's attempt to both chronicle this campaign and analyze its descent into a morass of pointed fingers, injured knees, and bruised pride.

Though The Last Season can be read as a behind-the-scenes tale of a single year with one unique team, its enduring value lies in the insight it provides into the paradox of the most successful coach in modern history -- and how he reacted to his worst result.

In his introspective Sacred Hoops (1995), Jackson describes the dichotomy between his reprimanding, fundamentalist mother and his unconditionally loving father as the primary conflict in his life. Though he claims to have found reconciliation between the two in an interesting hybrid of Zen and Native American traditions, it is apparent in The Last Season that his spiritual resolution may be as ephemeral as his satisfaction on the basketball court. Readers will find in the words of one of basketball's best coaches very little fulfillment from success.

The tension in The Last Season lies not in a triangulated position between maternal and paternal influences, but between contemporary manifestations of good (Shaquille O'Neal) and evil (Kobe Bryant). Where Jackson describes O'Neal as "a very sensitive, fragile soul who appreciates any sign of tenderness" (73), Bryant is alternately "stubborn", "a callous gun for hire", someone "so addicted to being in control" that he struggles in an "internal tug-of-war" between group and individualistic tendencies. Throughout, Jackson himself seems to struggle in his effort to interpret every Kobe mood, taking him from sympathy to petulant obsession with the young star's misgivings, including incidents where Bryant was 5 minutes late for a bus and took a cell phone call just before tipoff of their elimination game against the Pistons.

Basketball's Zen Master, Jackson also lives up to the inverse of his winning reputation: as the master of positioning himself on high ground. One sees his notorious self-righteousness throughout -- from scolding the Dallas Mavericks for celebrating after ending a 13 year losing streak in Los Angeles ("Well, there's nothing wrong with a little celebrating now and then, but to go to that extreme in December shows a lack of perspective" (86)) to the backhanded compliment he gives Tim Duncan "for working the officials from the opening tip" (181). Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy is heartily criticized by Jackson for attacking NBA referees for how they officiate Yao Ming (153); at the same time, the author himself devotes numerous paragraphs to complaints about how referees officiate O'Neal, arguing at one point that the NBA should eliminate the six-foul-and-you're-out provision (55). The referees become a more prominent scapegoat as the stakes get higher. Jackson pays few compliments to the Pistons, but frequently cites the disparities between the teams in free throw shooting as a primary reason for his first Finals defeat. "I can't overemphasize how much that hindered our cause" (241).

Those wanting to experience or revisit the tumult of the 2003-04 Lakers will find The Last Season a comfortable journey with occasional gossipy details. What makes the book more worthy of purchase -- especially at a time where Jackson is considering a return to Jerry Buss' legendary franchise -- is its service as a case study in organizational failure, showing how a much-heralded coaching approach collapsed when it was put to the ultimate test. In the concluding pages, Jackson dismisses the criticism that he "was unable to motivate the players to believe in my system" (270), but whether he puts it in his preferred psychotherapeutic language of poor player relationships or an inability to achieve "a collective consciousness", the fact remains: for this group of star players, at this time, the system failed.

A good sports read.

An entertaining, easy, and informative read about one of the worlds most storied sports franchise. I fully recommend reading The Last Season, if you often ask yourself how could a hall-a-fame team have such a hall of shame season.

"Teamwork is a nebulous thing"

I bought this book because I am one of those Laker haters for the same reason I am also one of those Yankee haters; I root against teams that win all the time and that are favorites to win a world championship year after year. Before the 2003/04 NBA season, I grimaced when I first heard the Lakers were getting Karl Malone and Gary Payton. I thought it was the rich getting richer and a lot of sports analysts thought so too as they were almost giving the NBA title to LA before the season started and some believed this Lakers squad could challenge Phil Jackson's Chicago Bulls' regular season win record. I was disappointed that Malone joined the Lakers. After spending one of the longest and most successful careers in Utah (a place in which a lot of players wouldn't want to stay), he jumps on the wagon that appears to be on the fastest, easiest route to a championship (again, the rich get richer). That seemed like an almost traitorous way to win one's only title, so I'm glad it did not happen. I bought Jackson's The Last Season to savor in the Lakers' "demise" (well, they did get to the finals which, after game 2 of the San Antonio series, a lot of people, including myself, did not think was possible, so spoiled Laker fans shouldn't be too bummed).

Right on the first page, Jackson writes that he "didn't want this book to be about the small petty gossip that makes up a lot of the NBA world" (p. 1). Don't worry, there is plenty of gossip in this book. He does not bore the reader with X's and O's, although there is some strategy explained when discussing different match-ups. A lot of this book is about Jackson's relationship with owner Jerry Buss, general manager Mitch Kupchak, opinions on such NBA spokesmen as Dallas Maverick's coach Mark Cuban, Rick Fox and Karl Malone's frustration over injuries, Gary Payton's tantrums about the triangle offense, and, of course, the on-going feud between Kobe and Shaq. The book is written like a journal but is very comprehensive and flows very well. I was fascinated by the behind-the-scenes look at the Lakers organization. Their preparation for games I found to be very interesting. At one point in the season, Jackson exposed his players to an aspect of his Buddhist beliefs with a meditation session (Jackson admits he does not think it affected most of the players). He also had clips from the movies Shrek or Miracle on Ice inserted in their film sessions (p. 191). Jackson is candid about Kobe's ball-hogging tendencies and Shaq's abysmal free throw shooting. During the Houston series in the playoffs, Shaq practiced shooting free throws from a foot back which Jackson thought was less than constructive (p. 162). Often, Jackson compares his Laker teams unfavorably to his Bulls teams in terms of preparation and attitude towards the game. Jackson's complaints throughout the book on everything from game start times (p. 95), fines (p. 96), and foul calls (many pages) made me think the coach of the Sacramento Kings wrote the book.

Of course, Shaq and Kobe is the draw to this book, and Jackson does not disappoint the readers. A lot of the petty squabbles are described here. Some of the high lights include Kobe and Shaq only wanting certain photographers (the opposite for each) filming them during practice (p. 110). The Lakers helped pay for Kobe's flights to Colorado for his hearings and Kobe complained the plane was not luxurious enough (p. 32). One of the bad omens in the Detroit series was Shaq blowing up at 82-year-old assistant coach Tex Winter (pp. 232-33). Then, in the end, Kobe tells Jackson he no longer wants to be Shaq's "sidekick" thus completing the stage for Shaq's exit (p. 258). Jackson visited a therapist to help him deal with the Shaq/Kobe factor. Of course, Jackson probably only covers the tip of the iceberg, but it still makes for fascinating reading. Check out this eyebrow-raising line: "This was another example of the basic difference between him [Shaq] and Kobe. Ask Shaq to do something and he'll say: "No, I don't want to do that." But after a little pouting, he will do it. Ask Kobe, and he'll say, "okay," and then he will do whatever he wants" (p. 38). After reading this book, I cannot believe the rumors that Jasckson will return as coach of the Lakers. No way. But, then again, after reading Terrell Owens' book, I never would've guessed he would fire his beloved agent and seek a new contract with Philly, so one never knows. Whether you are a Laker hater, a Laker fan, or are just fascinated with the personalities of the NBA, I definitely recommend this book.