Former Lakers coach Phil Jackson is consulting the team in its search for a new coach, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported, as shared by Talkin’ NBA (video link). Los Angeles is seeking its 28th head coach in franchise history after firing Frank Vogel last month.
As Wojnarowski notes, Jackson also advised the Lakers in the search that landed Vogel. Jackson coached the Lakers for 11 years, winning five NBA championships with the franchise. His last season as head coach was the 2010/11 campaign.
Los Angeles appears to be taking its time in the search, rather than interviewing several candidates at one time, Wojnarowski reports. The team is still expected to consider a wide variety of names for the position, including Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham.
The Lakers missed the playoffs this season and finished with a disappointing 33-49 record. Injuries to key players (including LeBron James and Anthony Davis) prevented the team from building the chemistry needed to succeed, though management clearly believes coaching also played a role.
Jackson should hold out for the lakers job. It was a dumpster fire last year but team has better foundation to work with.
He can hardly walk
What does that have to do with coaching?
I meant mark jackson lol I see the confusion considering Phil jackson skeleton is advising
Well that changes things lol
Lakers are waiting for Snyder to see if anything happens there is my guess.
Kenny Atkinson was my #1 choice.
What a drama in LA!! Who’s in charge??!
LBJ? Rich Paul? Magic? Pelinka?? Kurt Rambis? Linda Rambis? And now Phil? Jeannie Buss and her brother – they are all a joke! Sell the team already!
Snoop Dogg, Matthew McConaughey, and ice Cube are weighing in too
Don’t forget Lil Wayne and LeShannon Sharpe too…
lol
I love Phil Jackson as a coach, but there are too many voices in the front office for there to be any good changes. The Lakers should pull a card from the Cleveland Browns and replace the front office with people who would make good decisions.
Ownership needs to be changed.
With apologies to Red Auerbach, Phil Jackson is probably the greatest coach of all time if you look at the results.
Phil Jackson as an advisor and/or GM is a dumpster fire.
They should hire Sean Peyton and then trade Westbrook + picks for Tom Brady.
The real question is who is he advising. I sounds like it’s Jeanie, directly, and, if so, it’s just another data point that suggests organizational dysfunction under her. She needs to stop running the team like her little fiefdom, and establish some semblance of an organizational structure. Other than one resembling a royal court, where various factions compete for the Queen’s favor.
Fiefdom is in the DNA tho from pop pop. It’s going to be an uphill battle to release some of that moving forward
There’s always been some kinda elusion out here that somehow the Lakers are bigger than the NBA and it’s {meant} to be alright and bad years are just anomalies . It played a lot better last century when it was easier to pull off…Then Kobe extended that leash another 15 years based on a lotta luck (draft Fall and Cha C need, along w JW’s scouting wisdom) .
She’s finding out the hard way now that the new NBA is a whole lot more sleeves rolled up and hard work than glitz and glamor.
Silver has really leveled the playing field whereas Stern tried to push it in certain directions based on what side of the bed he woke up on that morning.
She needs to adapt no doubt; and I agree there’s no better place to start than her inner circle. She’s not going anywhere for a long long time so I hope she doesn’t feel she’s a polished product herself where she sits today
She did a pretty ballsy move, so to speak, by ousting her brother Jim from the decision-making altogether. That was step one. Now she needs to make Step 2 and 3 and 4.
Solution is simple, although easier said than done. Lakers need to get younger and they need defense. Bring back LBJ and Davis. Bring back Carmelo as well because it keeps Lebron happy. Hope monk didn’t price himself out and bring him back as well, along with Reaves. Replace every other person on the team. And then do everything you can to trade Westbrook and whatever other picks or assets it takes to get Gobert. Flip THT for two younger pieces and fill out the rest with minimums and mid levels
so you are getting younger by bringing Lebron and Melo, both over 37 and trading 21 yr old THT for 2 younger pieces, so Bronny and his roommate, LOL.
If it’s Phil Jax making the decision …….. he’ll likely be choosing between Derek Fisher, Brian Shaw, Kurt Rambis, Bill Cartwright & Jim Cleamons.
God bless this excellent, all-time greatest coaching tree.
Actually, you could include Kerr in that tree…but the real point is that Phil is the only coach who optimized the Triangle, which proves that while it is a simple idea, it is complex to execute, and requires high IQ players – not necessarily in great supply in today’s 1-and-done-rookie NBA. Being able to shoot threes does not mean you are a smart player. Kerr has certainly had the most success in drive-and-kick, but hmm he has also had some phenomenally intelligent and physically talented players.
Phil’s real gift was his ability to maximize the skills of every person on his rosters, including role players like (ahem) Tyronn Lue and Jack Haley. Lakers real problem as currently constructed is they do not have the role players that they need around AD and Lebron – and Westbrook is unsuited to a team concept.
Not sure if any coach can solve this.
Derek Fisher is what doomed Phil in NY. Stay away from him. I’m just wondering who Bron wants as coach ????
Probably come down to 77-year old Pat Riley vs. 84-year old Del Harris. Both with Laker experience.
They can dig up Jack McKinney. He might want another shot at a title.
Someone with a tan so that we don’t have to hear about it on every media outlet that they chose Casper
Classic example of the game having passed someone by. Gonna be hilarious when he suggests and they hire Marc Jackson, another guy the game has passed by.
“Uh, Jeannie, you should just hire me, I am the best unemployed basketball coach available.”
So what? LeBron gets final day anyway