faba Posted May 2, 2005 Share Posted May 2, 2005 Report: Pursuit of Phil down to Lakers, KnicksESPN.com news services Related Video: PTI: Who is Shaq's better cast? The Cleveland Cavaliers are out of the chase for the services of Phil Jackson, just days after having preliminary talks with the nine-time NBA champion coach, according to the New York Post. Floor leaders pine for Phil According to The Los Angeles Times, some upper-crust season-ticket holders sent a petition to Lakers headquarters last week imploring the team to rehire Jackson. "We the undersigned season ticket holders in the premium seat location on the floor urge you to do all you can to bring Phil Jackson back to coach the team next year," the petition read, according to the newspaper. The Times reported the petition was prepared by front-row season-ticket holders, who pay $2,000 a ticket. Signatures representing 52 of the 139 front-row holders were on the petition, but organizers declined to provide a list of names for the newspaper. While the Lakers continue to wait for a legitimate sign that Jackson is interested in again coaching the Lakers, speaking engagements -- his fees approach $100,000, plus expenses, The Times reports -- have kept him busy. "I'm not even sure that he does want to coach." Charley Rosen, an author and longtime friend of Jackson's, told The Times. "He didn't pay that much attention to the season, although he did watch the Lakers. The playoffs get his chops way up. ... I'm sure his interest is peaking and will peak for the next two months." The paper reports the competition has come down to the New York Knicks or a return the Los Angeles Lakers. However, Knicks legend and former Jackson teammate Earl Monroe believes this decision has already been made. "I've talked to a couple of people pretty close to Phil," Monroe told the Post on Sunday. "It's a good shot to try to get him. In terms of his own legacy, I know he should go to someplace where there's a guy they can build around and become a winning team. I don't see with the Knicks they have that type of team in place at this point." Jackson met with Knicks president of basketball operations Isiah Thomas on April 25 and a second is meeting is expected, the paper reported. "I'd like to see [Jackson] go out and coach a team that's competitive," Monroe told the Post. "The team they [the Knicks] have is not as competitive. They need a couple more components." Jackson was scheduled to meet with Lakers star Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles, according to ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher. However, sources close to Bryant said that he has not heard from Jackson about a possible meeting between the two. The sources said Bryant would not be opposed to such a get-together. If the Cavaliers can't get Jackson, the next most likely candidate would be Cleveland native Flip Saunders, who was fired earlier this season in Minnesota. Saunders and Pistons coach Larry Brown are also candidates for the Lakers if their Jackson pursuit fails. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomShane Posted May 2, 2005 Share Posted May 2, 2005 This signals a few things: 1) LeBron James is not going to re-sign in Cleveland, and Phillip knows it. 2) Isiah may be pushed out tomorrow. 3) Kobe Bryant might be traded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawn306 Posted May 2, 2005 Share Posted May 2, 2005 Jackson will NEVER EVER EVEEERRR coach the Knicks. The Knicks are such a mess right now that even Pat Riley could not save them. Phil wants to be in the ideal situation. With the Lakers he has Kobe and Odom to work the triangle offense around plus he is banging the bosses daughter. With the Knicks he has Marbury and and and He's going to the Lakers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faba Posted May 2, 2005 Author Share Posted May 2, 2005 If you are Jackson do you come into a hopeless situation especially until Houston contract is gone and where he would actually have to work or LA where he has a home, Busses daughter and California girls- no contest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
124 Posted May 2, 2005 Share Posted May 2, 2005 Please Phil, PLEASE, come to the Knicks baby! If you go back to LA, you will be a hypocrite! Come back to NY where you belong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Troll Posted May 3, 2005 Share Posted May 3, 2005 I like Phil's options here, mainly because I hate Phil Jackson. Of the places on his shortlist, no team has two great players (the Knicks don't even have one). Phil Jackson has never won jack without Jordan/Pippen and Shaq/Kobe. If he comes back to coach Lebron/Ilgauskas, Marbury/Crawford, or Kobe/Scrubs, he will be proved as the over-rated hack that he is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormshadow19 Posted May 4, 2005 Share Posted May 4, 2005 Picking berries in Montana... and staying there. Forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormshadow19 Posted May 4, 2005 Share Posted May 4, 2005 I like Phil's options here, mainly because I hate Phil Jackson. Of the places on his shortlist, no team has two great players (the Knicks don't even have one). Phil Jackson has never won jack without Jordan/Pippen and Shaq/Kobe. If he comes back to coach Lebron/Ilgauskas, Marbury/Crawford, or Kobe/Scrubs, he will be proved as the over-rated hack that he is. Also ditto... if you live in the greater Detroit area, you loathe Phillip. He's a freakin tool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faba Posted May 15, 2005 Author Share Posted May 15, 2005 Updated: May 15, 2005, 2:05 AM ET Jackson to decide sometime in JuneAssociated Press Related Video: Jerry Buss speaks on Lakers coaching search BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Phil Jackson is still trying to decide whether he will return to coaching next season, and expects teams would want to hear from him by next month. "I've not made up my mind. Coaching is an option," Jackson told The Associated Press in an interview Saturday, adding that while he had set no deadline for his decision, "by mid-June or by early June, people need to have answers." The former Los Angeles Lakers coach said he wouldn't necessarily mind taking on a rebuilding job. "The two teams I've been with have been relatively set. I was in Chicago as an assistant coach when they were rebuilding. The Lakers had to practically rebuild all the time. The changes we went through in the first three championships with the organization were probably more than we went through in Chicago." Jackson said there were obvious advantages if he were to return to the Lakers, but also some disadvantages. "I have a family here. I have a relationship with Jeannie [buss]. There are a lot of positive things. There's also a big negative about not being here last year and the experience that led to the change with the Lakers. There is also that overall feeling." Although Jackson had some critical comments about Kobe Bryant in a book he wrote after leaving Los Angeles, he said Saturday he'd have no difficulty working with the Lakers star. "I think there is nothing but good feelings between Kobe and myself," he said. Jackson was delivering a speech later in the day at a fundraiser for the Positive Coaching Alliance, a national nonprofit group that encourages youth coaches to use sports to teach life lessons. He is a spokesman for the group. Lakers owner Jerry Buss said earlier this month that Jackson was on the short list of candidates for the team's vacant coaching job. Buss said he believes Jackson wants to return to coaching, but maybe not this year. Jackson's longtime girlfriend, Jeanie Buss, is the owner's daughter and an executive with the team. Jackson has also been mentioned in connection with coaching vacancies with the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks, and there might be other possibilities as well. Jackson and the Lakers parted ways three days after Los Angeles lost to Detroit in last year's NBA Finals. Rudy Tomjanovich signed a five-year contract to coach the team, but stepped down on Feb. 2, citing health concerns. Jackson was mentioned as a possible replacement almost immediately. The 59-year-old Jackson has nine championship rings as a head coach, six in Chicago and three in Los Angeles. He's tied with former Boston coach Red Auerbach for most NBA titles. If Jackson does decide to return to coaching, he figures to command a salary somewhere in the range of $10 million a year. He earned $30 million in his five years as Lakers coach. Knicks president Isiah Thomas met with Jackson last month to discuss the New York job, but Thomas also has interviewed other candidates. The Lakers, usually one of the NBA's glamour teams, had a 34-48 record this season and missed the playoffs for the first time in 11 years and just the second time since 1976. Assistant Frank Hamblen served as interim coach after Tomjanovich stepped down. Jackson and Bryant had a well-documented up-and-down relationship during their five years together, and Jackson outlined the difficulties in a book he wrote that came out last October. Bryant signed a seven-year, $136 million contract with the Lakers last July. I think it will be disgusting to pay any coach 10 million a year-no wonder these guys have such big egos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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