I'm Oprah Winfrey. Welcome to Super Soul Conversations, the podcast. I believe that one of

the most valuable gifts you can give yourself is time, taking time to be more fully present.

Your journey to become more inspired and connected to the deeper world around us starts right

now. Born in 1945 in Dear Lodge, Montana,

Little Jackson grew up in a strict religious home. His parents were both Pentecostal ministers,

and the family spent all of their free time practically at church. As a teenager,

sports in particularly basketball became an escape for Phil, and he excelled at it. Already

six-five by his junior year, Phil became his high school's most valuable player, so it was

no surprise when he got a basketball scholarship to the University of North Dakota. It was there

that Phil began his journey as a seeker, learning about and experimenting with Christian mysticism,

Native American rituals, and Zen meditation, all later used as principles for his coaching.

In 1967, he was drafted by the New York Knicks, where he earned two championship rings in the early

70s and learned the value of awareness, selfless team play, and the importance of forging a deeper

bond between players. As head coach, he promoted these same values, guiding some of the greatest

sports superstars of our time to play for something greater than themselves. Players like Michael

Jordan, Shaquille O'Neill, and Kobe Bryant. Duped the Zen master for introducing players to meditation,

yoga, and Tai Chi, Phil was able to use his spiritual influences as a motivator to success.

It's the subject of his latest memoir, Eleven Rings, which debuted in true Phil Jackson style at

number one on the New York Times bestsellers list. Well, he's certainly the tallest guest we've

ever had on Super Soul Sunday. Phil Jackson has been called one of the greatest basketball coaches

of all time, but this is not really a conversation about basketball because this is not your average

coach. After all, this is the man they call the Zen master. Welcome Phil Jackson. Thank you.

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