Lakers Sasha Vujacic Reminisces of the Time with Phil Jackson

It probably is not widely known that Phil Jackson still keeps in touch with his former players.

Sasha Vujacic is not the first name that would come up in Lakers fans’ minds when they think about their team.

Dubbed ‘The Machine’, fans went thru highs and lows with him as a player during his time in the purple and gold. The nickname was given because Vujacic, the streaky shooter, would not hesitate to shoot threes, regardless if he was cold or hot.

However, no fan will ever forget the biggest moment of Vujacic’s career, when Vujacic, knocked down two free throws to seal the Lakers title in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals.

Vujacic had his own battles with legendary coach Phil Jackson when he was first in the league. During that same championship, Vujacic told reporters how Jackson told him that he would not play in games unless the team was down by 20 points. He then said to reports aloud, “I’m in the doghouse?”

Nowadays, Vujacic talks about his old coach in great admiration. Last year, he told Clutchpoints’ Ryan Ward how Jackson had an innate ability to make role players feel significant, especially in a league that accentuates their stars at any moment possible.

A couple days ago, Vujacic broke bread with the legendary coach in Manhattan Beach and made a wonderful Instagram post.

“One word that comes to mind when I think of PJ [Jackson] is journey. The journey of awareness, that of growth, and most important of all, the journey of stillness. “One mind, one breath,” as he says.

It’s always a pleasure to journey through memories and share laughs over a glass / bottle of wine with the master of zen and my greatest mentor.”

The world is a cesspool but this made me smile on an otherwise horrible day. 💜💛 pic.twitter.com/gdYzQoh3HE

— Pat Benson (@Pat_Benson_Jr) November 19, 2021

It is amazing to see the effect Phil Jackson made on his role players. We as a whole always attach Jackson to stars like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, but it is heartwarming to hear of instances when he has that kinship with lesser-known players.