NBA Barn Burner: Could LeBron James and Phil Jackson go to Chicago?
One week ago, I wrote an article about how I thought LeBron James needed to worry more about finding his Phil Jackson than he did about finding his Scottie Pippen.
At the time, I didn't seriously consider that LeBron could actually team up with Phil Jackson himself. I just meant that he needed to find a championship-caliber coach similar to Phil Jackson.
The latest news out of LA, however, suggests that just maybe LeBron could end up playing for Phil Jackson next season.
The report states that the Lakers will ask Phil Jackson to take a serious pay cut. His current salary is $12 million a year. Reportedly, the Lakers are only willing to pay $5 million.
This would be a significant decrease in salary, particularly for the most decorated NBA coach of all time.
One has to wonder if Phil Jackson will look to go elsewhere, as there will certainly be many teams willing to pay him a lot of money.
I can think of one high-profile NBA market that is in need of a coach—the Chicago Bulls.
At first thought, it doesn't seem likely that Phil would be eager to return to the Bulls. His departure from the windy city 12 years ago was not exactly under the friendliest of circumstances.
However, it seems fair to think that the chance to coach LeBron James could quickly change all of that.
If you remember, Phil Jackson returned to the Lakers despite a little bit of bad blood with Kobe.
Imagine what this would mean for Phil Jackson.
He would be remembered as the coach of the three most idolized NBA stars of all time— Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James.
Imagine what this would mean for LeBron James.
He would finally have a coach and a team capable of satisfying his quest for a ring. If LeBron can't win a title with Phil and Derrick Rose, then who can he win with?
Most of all, Imagine what this would mean for the Chicago Bulls.
An immediate leap back to a position that they haven't been familiar with since Jordan walked away—the No. 1 premier NBA franchise.
Admittedly, the possibility is largely just speculation at this point.
But it sure is fun to think about.
