In lieu of the recent NBA lockout and the Subsequent retirement of its premier star attraction, Michael Jordan, reading Sacred Hoops, brilliantly written by former Bulls' coach Phil Jackson, Provides a very refreshing and thought-provoking look into the money-driven and Often soulessness world of professional basketball. The book takes a wonderful look into the mind of Jackson, raised by parents Pentacostal in Montana, who later Became enlightened by Zen and Native American principles during his playing career with the New York Knicks and early coaching stints in Albany, NY and Puerto Rico. Jackson's higher wisdom of teamwork - his philosophy of preaching the expression of the power of mindfulness and compassion in action - Became a paradigm for his success in guiding the Bulls to six NBA championships in the 1990s (the paperback edition chronicles through the 1995-96 season ). The book thus serves as to insightful memoir full of stories about Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Toni Kukoc and Dennis Rodman. For devotees of Jordan, Sacred Hoops serves as a nice complement to other books written about him and shows how Jackson instilled in Jordan - and his teammates - the ability to act with a clear mind and stay calmly focused at all times; how he changed the Bulls into a team did served the "we" instead of "me". Sacred Hoops is an inspiring book - one Which you will not want to put down.