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Honestly, has the NBA -- and for that matter, the NFL or MLB -- ever seen a coach like [Phil] Jackson?

A coach who has so blatantly incorporated his Zen Buddhist philosophies into his routine, who brought the rituals or the Lakota Sioux (placing tribals fetishes on shelves) into the locker room, who led his players in group meditation?

Those aren’t exactly the first three chapters of Red Auerbach’s “Basketball for the Players, the Fans and the Coach.” But darn if they don’t work.

Jackson, for all his idiosyncrasies, is the greatest coach in NBA history. And by “greatest,” I don’t mean “most accomplished,” as if giving him the title simply because he’s got the most rings.

No, I mean Phil Jackson is the league’s best coach ever . . .

It’s not just the championship years either. Think about what Jackson did with the 1993-94 Bulls, the first post-Jordan team. With Scottie Pippen, Toni Kukoc and an injury-plagued roster that started somebody named Pete Myers, he won 55 games. That’s two fewer than he won the year before with Jordan.”

Chris Broussard, ESPN the Magazine

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Can the Lakers repeat? Even three-peat?

They’re talented enough, young enough, to make sure this season isn’t a one-and-done celebration, provided enough of them stay together. [Trevor] Ariza and [Lamar] Odom become free agents in a couple of weeks, and for Lakers owner Jerry Buss, that means one thing:

It’s time to pay.

Johnny Ludden, Yahoo Sports

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By halftime, despite only a 10-point lead by the Lakers, the silence in the building reflected the ominous tone for the night. The Magic could have packed their Teva sandals for that all-inclusive vacation in Antigua. The muscle boys on basketball beach from L.A. weren’t going to lose.

And that’s what this was: A methodical beat-down by a better team.

George Diaz, Orlando Sentinel

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The Lakers snagged their fourth title in a decade that began in 2000 with the first of three in a row. No other team can match that, Exhibit Z in a compelling case that they are, and have been, exceptionally good. Another case can be made that this year’s edition of the Lakers was remarkably fortunate. . . . The Lakers got lucky with:

Mitch Kupchak’s refusal to panic.

Two summers ago, the Lakers’ inscrutable GM was under fire after Kobe Bryant vented his frustration with the team and front office on sports-talk radio and in an amateur video. The Lakers’ superstar was making noise about getting out, or at least getting more immediate help than young center [Andrew] Bynum could give.

Kupchak somehow weathered Bryant’s big wind, added [Derek] Fisher that off-season and Ariza and [Pau] Gasol during the 2007-08 season, and stayed the course on Bynum. That was good enough for a Finals appearance in 2008 and a championship this season.

Steve Aschburner, SI.com