Who was better Red Auerbach or Phil Jackson?

Answer 1

One viewRed Auerbach was better. He built his own teams and didn't inherit talent like Jackson. Another viewHowever without Bill Russell Auerbach wins nothing. He won all of his titles with Russell while Jackson was able to demonstrate his coaching abilities with a variety of players over a far greater period of years.

Another view

Phil Jackson coached the Bulls when they had Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. He also coached the Lakers when they had Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant; and more recently with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and a slew of solid players. While Red Auerbach had great players too, the talent wasn't nearly as diluted as it is today. There were far fewer teams back then, so having multiple stars on one team at a time was not uncommon. Both coaches had extraordinary talents that helped them win, but Auerbach proved his mettle as a general manager as he acquired talent seemlessly.