Chuck Klosterman, writing in the Page 2 section of ESPN.com, has written a really interesting read analyzing why Phil Jackson, he of the many basketball championships, took on the mess that is the Los Angeles Lakers these days.
Fundamentally, Klosterman argues that in order to become a great man, Phil Jackson must finally taste failure.
As a student of both sports metaphors and the pattern recognition of history, I found this a compelling read.
Here is an excerpt:
- As such, historical figures are remembered for the things they accomplish and the victories they win -- if life were a movie, the collection of those achievements would comprise the plot. But people are always defined by their greatest failure. You learn very little about a man's character from his success; truth exists only within adversity. And adversity is what Jackson needs to define himself as A Great Man; without it, he's just a tall dude from Williston High School who won a lot of games with a lot of talent.
Check out the full article HERE.