The eleven-time NBA Champion coach is Phil Jackson. In recent years, his health has remained stable. He has appeared in public numerous times; the most recent one was on the day that Kobe’s monument was dedicated.
The 78-year-old’s latest Lakers coaching stint ended in 2011. He announced his early retirement two years later after learning that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. He returned to the NBA in 2014, this time as an executive with the New York Knicks. But things did not work out, and in 2017 Jackson parted ways with the Knicks.
Jackson spoke about his memories of Kobe Bryant during the monument unveiling ceremony. Attendees at the occasion were Dwyane Wade, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Magic Johnson, among others who were past colleagues of Bryant.
Phil Jackson’s Health Update: Where is He Now?
The former Lakers coach Phil Jackson has previously garnered media attention because of health issues. However, Jackson appeared well during his most recent visit, even sharing anecdotes about the legendary Kobe Bryant of the Lakers. According to Jackson, he stopped watching the NBA last year because it had become too politicized.
Jackson has spoken about current players and coaches on some podcasts in recent years. Jackson said he hasn’t watched the NBA since the outbreak started in early 2020 on the Tetragrammaton podcast with Rick Rubin. The veteran coach’s statement, which showed his distaste for the term “Black Lives Matter,” infuriated a lot of NBA fans.
But when the legendary basketball coach recently showed up for Kobe Bryant’s statue unveiling ceremony at Cryto.com Arena, he told a story about Bryant’s meeting with Michael Jordan that had everyone in the room laughing.
Jackson emphasized the occasion when he was most proud of Kobe after his speech. On Jimmy Kimmel Live, the late NBA player spoke up for his teammate Adam Morrison. One of Jackson’s longest-serving assistants, Kurt Rambis, had previously claimed in 2019 that the former coach was experiencing health issues.
Rambis claims that Jackson was slowed down by many medical conditions. Jackson reportedly underwent numerous hip and knee replacements. The former Lakers coach revealed that he was given a prostate cancer diagnosis in 2011 in his book Eleven Rings, published in 2013.
Jackson said that during the 2011 conference semifinals matchup with the Dallas Mavericks, he disclosed his illness to the club. Ultimately, medication and surgery were used to treat the cancer.
Phil Jackson’s Married Life and Kids
The renowned NBA coach Phil Jackson is the father of five children from two previous marriages. Jackson wed Maxine Jackson for the first time in 1967, but the two divorced in 1972. Elizabeth Jackson was the only child of the former spouse. The eldest daughter of Phil Jackson, who formerly worked in the finance and international relations sectors in Newark, New Jersey, and Washington, DC, is a teacher in Northern Virginia.
Following his split from Maxine, Jackson wed June. However, their romance did not last. Jackson and June are parents of four children, including twins. The first child of the previous pair, Chelsea Jackson, works as an interior designer and is the principal of Chelsea Sachs Design.
She produced television shows for the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics in the past. Their second daughter, Brooke Jackson, is a psychologist who graduated from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology with a degree in clinical psychology. Charles and Ben Jackson, twin boys, were born in June.
Charles is an entrepreneur who graduated from the University of Colorado with a bachelor’s degree in communications. Ben is the executive director of The Writing Salon, a San Francisco Bay Area creative writing program exclusively for adults. Phil Jackson fell in love with Jeanie Buss following his divorce in June. The pair began dating in 1999, became engaged in 2012, and ended their relationship in 2016.
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