Jun 14, 2009 8:34 pm US/Pacific
Phil Jackson Passes Auerbach With 10th Title
ORLANDO (AP) ―
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Head coach Phil Jackson of the Los Angeles Lakers answers questions after the game against the Denver Nuggets during Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals during the NBA Playoffs on May 25, 2009, in Denver, Colo.
Garrett W. Ellwood/Getty Images
Move over, Red Auerbach. Phil Jackson is now No. 1.
Jackson, the chilled-out, bow-legged Zen Master who won six league titles in the 1990s with Michael Jordan in Chicago, now has won his fourth with the Los Angeles Lakers and broke a tie with legendary Boston coach Red Auerbach as the winningest coach in finals history.
Jackson's record-breaking triumph came in a relatively easy 99-86 Lakers victory over Orlando, a team that had beaten L.A. twice in the regular season but fell in five games in the NBA Finals.
Jackson, wearing a gold baseballl cap with the Roman numeral 10 on it, said he would emulate the late Celtics coach, who was legendary for smoking a victory cigar after games.
Jackson says he would "smoke the cigar tonight in memory of Red. He was a great guy."
Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy says Jackson is the greatest coach in NBA history. Van Gundy called Jackson's 10 titles an "incomprehensible" achievement, adding: "The guy wins all the time."
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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