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Phil Jackson Takes Record 10th NBA Crown--Celebrates with a Cigar 

The Lakers won the NBA championship last night, beating the Orlando Magic 99--86. The win gave coach Phil "the Zen Master" Jackson his tenth NBA title as coach, making him the most accomplished man ever to coach in the NBA, and he intended to celebrate with a smoke.

Jackson, who had been tied at nine victories with Red Auerbach, a man who was seldom seen without a cigar in hand, told the media after the game that he would fire up in honor of moving past the Celtics legend. "I'll smoke a cigar tonight in memory of Red," Jackson said. "He was a great guy." . . .

Jackson coached in a different era, where puffing in a NBA arena was impossible. In a 1998 interview, he claimed cigars relaxed him in the same way meditation did. "I owe it all to meditation and to cigars," he said. Jackson cut his NBA coaching teeth with the Chicago Bulls, owned by ardent cigar lover Jerry Reinsdorf, who gave cigars to his star Michael Jordan.

Each man was profiled in Cigar Aficionado magazine. To read the story on Red Auerbach, click here, and to read about Phil Jackson, click here.

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