Auerbach, who won 938 games, said he's most proud of the 16 total championships -- eight in a row from 1959-66 -- that he amassed as a coach and executive with the Boston Celtics. Jackson had front-office help winning his titles, he said.

In Chicago, where Jackson won six championships during the 1990s, the Bulls were led by five-time Most Valuable Player Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen on teams assembled by former General Manager Jerry Krause.

In Los Angeles, Jackson took over a team with Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, who were acquired by former Lakers executive Jerry West. The Lakers won three straight titles from 2000-02 before the San Antonio Spurs derailed them last season.

"What I don't like about Phil is that he never gave anybody else any credit," Auerbach said. "Jerry West built that team."

Auerbach said the best coaches in the NBA now are New York's Lenny Wilkens and Detroit's Larry Brown because of their teaching abilities. Both are in the Hall of Fame. And where does Jackson rank in Auerbach's pantheon of coaching legends?

"I'd say he's a good coach because you can't fake results," he said. "But nothing he's done awes me."