Phil Jackson gets deep with tweet about coaching philosophy

The "Zen Master" has spoken - or, rather, tweeted.

New York Knicks president Phil Jackson decided to beat his critics to the punch by releasing a statement Tuesday on Twitter that doubles as a reminder of how his deeply philosophical beliefs inform his coaching perspectives, and also an outline of expectations for ex-Knicks head coach Derek Fisher's successor.

Although Jackson was saddened by having to dismiss Fisher, he remained focused on the task at hand as he publicly mused about his fascination with teachings from the realm of psychology:

Carl Rogers was one of the therapists that caught my attention. He was part of the "humanistic" movement in psychology, which include Abraham Maslow. His theory was that every human being is working towards self actualization. Inside that theory were characteristics of the fully functioning person: One, open to experiences, two, an avoidance of prejudice-living in the present, 3, ability to trust trust one's feelings, 4, being creative and 5, was having a fulfilled life. I wanted this for myself and for the world. The other influence, Maslow, had a pyramid of hierarchy of needs: 1, basic needs: i.e. food/water, 2, safety-belonging, 3, self-esteem, 4 self actualization. Again this idea of self actualization was the ideal.

Jackson added his thoughts on how certain leadership styles mesh with his vision for the Knicks:

The style of leadership that I've been put in a box with it: transformational as juxstaposed to transactional. This style of leadership has more to do with the group goals and the esteem of an individual fed by the group achievements. It involves moving the organization or culture of a group towards a higher nature. Transactional management style is is surely effective, but doesn't match my personal nature. This is also a clue for people that inquire about who might works as a leader for this Knick team.

The former coach fired Fisher - a player of his when Jackson served as the Los Angeles Lakers' bench boss - on Monday, and named assistant coach Kurt Rambis as interim head coach.

In the ensuing 24 hours, numerous names surfaced as proposed long-term replacements should Rambis' tenure be temporary in nature.

Related: 5 head coaching candidates for the Knicks

The 70-year-old Jackson has long been a proponent of more spiritual approaches to coaching, which incorporate psychology and eastern philosophies. He has also penned several books, as he mentions in his tweet, chronicling his journey through one of the most successful coaching careers in all of professional sports.

And so, Jackson's latest social media offering comes as his latest installment in the exploration of individual and team psyches.

Although there's merit to much of what Jackson proclaims here, it may provide his detractors with even more ammunition due to its convoluted and labyrinthine delivery.

The 23-31 Knicks - who have gone 1-9 in the last 10 games - sit four-and-a-half games out of playoff position. Consequently, Jackson is faced with the challenge of reinvigorating his team in order to facilitate its first playoff appearance since 2012-13.