Reactions

Users weigh in on our Phil vs. Red debate

Phil is the easy choice, because with the help of MJ, he put together the greatest team to ever grace the court. Red says Jackson has it easy, but Red's team played against nobodies in a league with about five big-name players. Phil took over a Laker team that hadn't won squat with two dominating players. He got there and turned them into a championship team.
-- Jordan Haraldson, Indianapolis

Red's remarkable record speaks for itself. Phil could well be in Red's class before he's through coaching, but as of right now, there is no one in the same class with Red. I'm 53 years old and remember quite well the mighty Celtic teams of the '50s and '60s. I might add that I'm a lifelong Laker fan, and it really hurts for me to admit it, but Red's the best coach ever. Maybe some day I can heartily welcome Phil to Red's lofty pedestal, but for the time being, Red's quite simply THE BEST!
-- Roy Heyer, Belle, Mo.

Red Aurbach was in a different era, and he was great in his time. But his style wouldn't mesh with any of the current NBA teams because of the game's fast pace. Let's just appreciate them for what they did.
-- Melvin Tavete, Honolulu

Phil is the better coach. Not to take anything away from what Red accomplished, but the talent in the NBA now is so much greater then it was when he coached. Almost every team in the league is only one or two players away from being dominant. Back when Red coached, there were only a handful of teams that could even come close to being dominant. Also, Red always had a dominant big man at a time when height was harder to come by. Yeah, Phil has Shaq, but remember he also won titles with Bill Cartwright and Luke Longley. Bill was slightly above average, but Luke was average at best. So with that said, Phil Jackson is a better coach then Red Auerbach.
-- Corey Behnke, Brillion, Wisc.

What would Red have done with Dennis Rodman? Red didn't have to coach night in and night out against the caliber of teams in the NBA today. The players in Auerbach's years didn't grow up thinking they were gods and having everyone pander to them as today's players do. Auerbach may have set the mold as a coach, but Phil certainly has broken it!
-- Fred Cushman, Vergennes, Vt.

No doubt about it, Phil Jackson is a far superior coach than Auerbach. During Auerbach's days, he had only eight teams in the league, and two rounds to win the championship. That only gets you to the conference finals today. The players today are simply much better, look at how many players were using the set shot then and how many were playing above the rim. The speed of today's players is also better. Who on any of Auerbach's teams will guard Kobe? Who's gonna guard Shaq? Bill Russell? Please, Russell would get dominated like all the others. They say it's hard to compare different eras, but this one is so simple to compare, 2002 Lakers over any of Auerbach's teams, 4-0 sweep.
-- Tom Santillan, Galt, Calif.

Red's ability to not only coach but also acquire talent puts him beyond Phil. Phil has had two great GMs doing the talent search. There is no dispute that Jerry West is one of the top two GMs of all time. Phil has never had to evaluate and choose the talent he works with. Phil has never had to build his team. One must also take into consideration the mode of travel during the two different eras. Today's travel and accomodations are much better than during Red's time. Also, today's teams are not as deep and strong, because of expansion. I would say that it is almost impossible to compare the two, but I definitely would give the edge to Red as he not only coached but also assembled his teams.
-- Keith Ruska, Grants Pass, Ore.

In my opinion, Red Auerbach and Phil Jackson are two great NBA coaches who have set higher standards in winning championships during different times; therefore, we need only to accept the fact that they both will go down in history as being two of the greatest NBA coaches of all times. In essence, I don't believe you can logically debate one coach being greater than the other, so let's just admire their successful coaching careers.
-- Raymond Roberts, Glendale, Ariz.

Red built his teams. Red created and coached Hall of Famers. Red was the man behind 16 titles. Phil never built a team. Phil was given future Hall of Famers. Phil has nine titles.
-- Mackenzie, Toledo, Ohio

Red created the celtic dynasty, while Jackson showed up in the middle of the Jordan-Pippen era and then the Shaq-Kobe regime.
-- Ryan, Easton, Penn.

 

Related information

Stories

Head-to-Head: Phil vs. Red

Multimedia

Visit Video Plus for the latest audio and video