Lakers News: Phil Jackson Comments on Speculation of Return to LA
New York Knicks president Phil Jackson continues to be linked with his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers, due to an opt-out clause in his deal after the 2016-17 season.
According to Ian Begley of ESPN.com, some in "NBA circles" believe he will terminate his five-year contract early and head back to the West Coast to become an executive with the Lakers in 2017.
But in a conversation with ESPN.com's Jackie MacMullan, Jackson explained that "it was never important to me to go back and be a part of that. Especially not now. I have this job, this commitment."
He continued:
"I have not entertained that. I'm looking for this Knicks team to get back into a situation where they are competitive. Do I have to win a championship before I feel I've done the job I've been asked to do, which is to bring this group back to that competitive level? No, I don't. We're starting to make progress. I like a lot of the things we are doing here. But we've got more to do.
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Before signing on with the Knicks in 2014, Jackson padded his resume as one of the greatest head coaches in NBA history in 11 seasons with the Lakers.
He won five championships in the process, adding to the six he won with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.
The Knicks haven't found the same kind of success with Jackson in the front office, amassing a 52-121 record since his arrival, which could make the opt-out clause look more attractive with each passing day.
Especially since he's already voiced his frustration with his team's inability to utilize the triangle offense, via Begley.
However, he explained that the clause in his contract was a preventative measure rather than an opportunity to bail on a struggling team, per MacMullan:
"The real issue with the opt out was simply my rationale regarding the (potential) lockout. If it was going to happen in December and everybody chose to walk away, there was no way I was going to sit in New York for three, four months when I didn't have a job, because (the players) aren't even allowed to show up to work. So, in that case, I would go back to L.A.
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More than just basketball is waiting for him in Los Angeles, though. Jackson's fiancee is Jeanie Buss, the Lakers team president and part-owner.
The distance has taken a toll, too: "It's hard. Very hard. It's hard to keep a house out there. I've got eight grandchildren in the Bay Area. FaceTime has really helped me."
While he continues to downplay the possibility of leaving for Los Angeles—despite the appeal of rejoining his family and a franchise with which he enjoyed so much success—Jackson hasn't completely squashed the notion, which could give Lakers fans hope of his return in the near future.
