The 5 best head coaches in Los Angeles Lakers history

1. Phil Jackson

While some people may disagree (particularly Celtics fans), Phil Jackson should be considered the greatest coach in NBA history. Not only is he the greatest head coach in Los Angeles Lakers history, but he is the greatest coach in Chicago Bulls history and is part of two extremely important dynasties.

His impact on the Chicago Bulls was highlighted by ESPN’s ‘The Last Dance’ and it is hard to be a critic of Jackson after that. Sure, he benefitted from having Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen on the team, but the things he had to deal with not just with his players but the front office was remarkable.

Then he goes to LA and takes an already talented Lakers team over the limit and wins three straight championships. That was no cakewalk, either, as he had to deal with the ego clash between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.

Then he a year off and returns to the team to win two more championships with Bryant and Pau Gasol. While Bryant is an all-time great, that team was not as talented as some of the other teams from that era and the triangle offense still prevailed.

Jackson has won five NBA Championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and six with the Chicago Bulls. He is the only coach in franchise history with over 600 wins and he never had a single losing season not just with the Lakers but with the Bulls as well.