That's right! The legendary Phil Jackson is coming back to where it all started for him in the NBA - the New York Knicks!
Phil Jackson is one of the most decorated men in NBA history. He played for years with the New York Knicks, winning two championship rings in 1970 and 1973. As a head coach, he led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships in a span of eight seasons - a level of dominance not seen in the modern era of the NBA, before or since. Then, as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, he won three consecutive titles in the early 2000's. The Lakers went back to the NBA Finals in 2004, but lost to the Detroit Pistons. After a few seasons of rebuilding, they were back to elite form in 2008, making it back to the NBA Finals, where they were favored against the Boston Celtics, although they were ultimately dominated in the series. But they rebounded strongly under Jackson's tutelage, winning the next two NBA titles. That meant that Phil Jackson was the head coach for the two franchises that won "Team of the Decade" honors in each of the last two decades! And, that also means that, between his years as a player and a coach, he has won a total of thirteen championship rings!
The man just knows how to win!
Many expected him to make a return as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers last season, when they were still healthy with Kobe, and had added Steve Nash and Dwight Howard. Many also expected him to lead them back to the NBA title again. But instead, Lakers management decided to get someone else, and the Lakers barely squeaked into the playoffs, losing quickly. Dwight Howard left for greener pastures in the offseason, and so far this season, the Lakers have been plagued with injuries, and suffered one of the worst seasons in franchise history. A lot of people felt it would have been different had Jackson found his way to the Lakers.
But, instead, he remained out of the NBA....until now. He said that he was approached by some teams. But, somehow or other, the situation in New York with the Knicks, who like the Lakers are also having a disastrous season so far, finally lured him back into the league.
Phil Jackson will not be the head coach of the Knicks. At least not at first. He will be in the front office, as president of basketball operations. I wonder if that's just a first step towards his eventually becoming head coach. Surely, I'm not the only one wondering such a thing?
How big is this? Well, of course we don't know. Not yet.
But here's an indicator of what Jackson's return might mean: Kobe is going to look at the New York Knicks this off-season. Here, I thought this guy was, for sure, a lifelong Los Angeles Laker. But now, he might be heading to the Big Apple, and he is saying that it is because of Phil Jackson.
Now, that's saying something!
So, okay, that does not guarantee a ring, or anything like that. The New York Knicks have been more or less a basket case since the early 2000's. Even when they showed signs of being competitive again, like they were last season, they have eventually found a way to disappoint their fans, like they have this season, as they inexplicably just cannot get anything positive done on the court, seemingly. They are not (yet) mathematically eliminated from the playoff race, but it would take a small miracle for them to make it now, and that certainly would not guarantee that they can even compete once there. That said, they should be commended for having won their sixth game in a row. Maybe the news of Phil Jackson's arrival helped inspire? Maybe this season isn't a lost cause just yet?
For now, a "major announcement" by the Knicks concerning Phil Jackson is scheduled for Tuesday.
Let's see what happens....
Here are the articles that assisted me in writing this blog entry:
"NBA Roundup: Phil Jackson set to become Knicks president" by The Sports Xchange, March 15, 2014:
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba-roundup-phil-jackson-set-225116755--nba.html
"An open letter to Phil Jackson, as he prepares to take over the New York Knicks" by Kelly Dwyer of Ball Don't Lie, March 14, 2014:
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/an-open-letter-to-phil-jackson--as-he-prepares-to-take-over-the-new-york-knicks-223430968.html
"Report: LeBron ‘will look at’ Knicks in free agency now that Phil Jackson is in place" by Brett Pollakoff of probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com, Mar 15, 2014:
http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/03/15/report-lebron-will-look-at-knicks-in-free-agency-now-that-phil-jackson-is-in-place/?ocid=Yahoo&partner=ya5nbcs
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