Phil Jackson rode the triangle offense to an NBA record 11 titles as a coach and now hopes the malleable formation will help the New York Knicks regain past glory.
Featuring interviews with Knicks president Jackson, new head coach Derek Fisher and demonstrations by the team's players, filmmaker and Knicks fanatic Spike Lee will take fans inside the triangle with an hour-long special premiering on MSG Network on Oct. 24. The show will also feature an on-court demonstration of the offense from Fisher and Knicks players at MSG’s Training Center.
“What Is The Triangle Offense: A Spike Lee Orange and Blue Skies Joint” will tip off after the Knicks postgame show on that night at 10:30 p.m.. The regional sports network wll also encore the show on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 11:30 p.m., immediately following the Knicks opening night game against the Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden.
In addition to conversations with the man, former Knicks and Houston Rockets coach and current ESPN/ABC analyst Jeff Van Gundy famously called 'Big Chief Triangle" and Fisher, the special includes conversations with Knicks greats Walt “Clyde” Frazier, Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, Bill Bradley, John Starks, Larry Johnson, and Allan Houston, as well as longtime Jackson colleagues -- Knicks associate head coach Kurt Rambis and Knicks assistant coach Jim Cleamons.
“Our goal is to break down the most successful offense in NBA history – to show Knicks nation the ins-and-outs of Phil Jackson’s ‘triangle offense,’ and to do it in a way that will be fun to watch and easy to understand,” said Lee. who made the special with his production company 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks. “We had tremendous access to Phil, Derek Fisher, assistant coaches, players, and are sure that this show will enlighten fans. I can’t wait for the ball to be tipped at Madison Square Garden on October 29.”
“Any time you have the chance to work with a filmmaker of Spike Lee’s stature, you say yes," noted MSG Media executive vice president Andrea Greenberg/ “As a devoted Knicks fan and regular at Madison Square Garden, Spike’s knowledge of the team and basketball combined with his extraordinary filmmaking skills will bring viewers inside the ‘triangle offense’ like never before.”
