This is Jackson's
Los Angeles swan song
Phil — and Shaq — could land
in Dallas if Kobe remains Lakers' priority
COMMENTARY
By Charley Rosen
Updated: 8:18 p.m. ET May 22, 2004
This much is an iron-clad certainty: No matter what happens during the rest of these playoffs, Phil Jackson will not return to coach the Lakers next season. All that's up for grabs is his next destination.
For starters, let me acknowledge that I've been a close friend of P.J.'s for almost 30 years. One thing I know for sure is that nobody really knows exactly what he's going to do next (including Phil). In fact, Phil and I have not discussed his future. That said, I'm nevertheless positive Phil's next stop entirely depends on the outcome of the Lakers' postseason.
The most perfunctory understanding of Phil's personal motivation in any arena of his life must begin with the realization that beneath his calm Zen-like persona (which truly is authentic) lurks a fiercely competitive nature. The most significant reason why Michael Jordan so respected Phil was because P.J. was the only one in the Bulls' organization who could match M.J.'s total commitment to winning. These days, beyond the game-to-game unfolding of the playoffs, Phil is focused on winning what would be a record-setting 10th championship as an NBA coach.
The current record holder with Jackson is, of course, Red Auerbach, the legendary ex-coach of the Celtics. In addition to Auerbach's reputation as a master motivator, he was known to many of his contemporaries as a world-class jerk. Just ask the non-Celtics old-timers still in the NBA — excepting the likes of Pat Riley and Larry Brown, who harbor a personal animus toward Phil. But the most common hope is that P.J. will eclipse Auerbach.
So, should the Lakers indeed win the very last game of the current postseason, bet your mortgage Phil will retire from the bench. Given the health problems he suffered last season — the heart episode that necessitated an angioplasty, as well as the stubborn kidney stone (which he labeled Kobe because "it won't pass") — most of Phil's friends and ex-teammates fervently pray the Lakers will triumph, if only to protect his physical well-being.
After his retirement, then what? Phil undoubtedly will spend most of the summer editing a personal journal he has been keeping over the course of the season. After his book is fine-tuned, I believe Phil has at least five options.
Option 1
He can spend a frigid, snowy winter at his remote Montana homestead, reading and contemplating. For pin money he could resume the motivational talks to elite groups of corporate moguls that he undertook between his gigs in Chicago and Los Angeles. I strongly suspect, however, this possibility quickly would bore him. (At 58, Phil still answers to his old Knick-name of "Action Jackson.")
Option 2
He could transport one of his motorcycles to Europe, Asia and/or Africa and follow the open road. (He already has traversed much of America in this fashion, finding to his dismay that his coast-to-coast celebrity draws a bothersome crowd.) This would be an appealing option for Phil, one that would enable him to clear his mind and decide what to do with the rest of his life. Still, even a lengthy trip of this sort would be only a temporary hiatus.
Option 3
He already participates in an organization that promotes ethical standards in coaching, and his involvement might become more public. But this is strictly a spare-time venture.
Option 4
After a suitable vacation, Phil could seek out (or be open to the advances of) an NBA franchise that would be agreeable to putting him in charge of its basketball operations. Like Jerry West in Memphis or Pat Riley in Miami, P.J. would be able to name the general manager, coach and coaching staff. Of vital concern would be hiring men who would be committed to running Phil's beloved triangle offense. Phil would shape the organization according to his vision of the game, which emphasizes honesty, respect and flexibility. For Phil, winning is a by-product of right thinking and right action.
Option 5
This is Option X, which might be an engagement with some aspect of politics, education, religion or whatever.
If I had to bet my own mortgage, I'd wager on Option No. 4.
Now, then, what if the Lakers fall short of the title?
Lakers owner Jerry Buss has made no secret he has the hots for Kobe. When Buss inevitably is forced to choose between Kobe and Phil (who have become increasingly irritated with each other), he'll go with Kobe — the glow of the superstar and all that.
As part of the price for Kobe to re-up with the Lakers, it's only logical Bryant will be granted veto power over whomever is proposed as the Lakers' next coach. The buzz is that Byron Scott is waiting in the wings — after all, he did lead the Nets into The Finals twice, and he does have a good relationship with Kobe. Also, Scott is an ex-Laker with a bright smile and a top-of-the-line tailor, necessary requisites to succeed in Tinseltown.
If Kobe's hand-picked coach succeeds Jackson, there's no question Phil would return to the coaching ranks, but only with a team that has a viable chance of immediately winning a championship. I can see Phil signing a two-year coaching contract and then, assuming he is able to add another gold ring to his collection, moving into the supervisory role described in Option 4. The tricky business is trying to predict which team would be a good fit for Phil.
Shaq is the Big Kicker. He repeatedly has stated that Phil is the only coach he'll play for. And given Shaq's dislike of Kid Kobe, how could he ever submit to playing for Scott or whomever Bryant decrees as Phil's successor? Sure, Shaq is under contract for two more seasons, but if he doesn't want to be in L.A. without Phil, he could pressure Buss into moving him. (Imagine David Stern's reaction if Shaq threatened to retire rather than play second fiddle to Kobe!)
So, there is a high probability that whichever team wants Phil as coach also will wind up dealing for Shaq. This means that wherever Phil winds up, his next team instantly will become a serious contender for a championship.
Let's take a look, then, at some possibilities and some impossibilities. Denver might be a good fit for Jackson as coach, but Kiki Vandeweghe is too deeply plugged into management for Phil to ultimately assume control of the team's operations. The same situation exists with Rod Thorn in New Jersey, Isiah Thomas in New York, Geoff Petrie in Sacramento and Wally Walker in Seattle — all of them immovable forces.
Another consideration severely limits Phil's possibilities: He deems it dishonorable to show any interest in a job that's already occupied.
Atlanta and Washington are so far gone that not even Phil and Shaq could raise them to title threats. The notoriously cheapskate New Orleans ownership never would meet P.J.'s asking price.
Despite the as-yet-unfilled gaps in the organization, and despite the fact Shaq still owns a house in the area, Orlando is a long shot. Could Shaq go home again? Plus, back in 2000, Jackson called Orlando a "plastic city."
Toronto's front office is vacant, and the Raptors would be a perfect fit. If the Raptors could somehow hang on to Vince Carter and Chris Bosh, the additions of P.J. and Shaq at least would result in the team's mastery of the Eastern Conference.
Yet my own fanciful brain fevers insist that should the Lakers lose, P.J. and his monstrous sidekick will resurface in Dallas. Why not? Don Nelson has been walking on eggshells for a while. Mark Cuban has the bucks and the gumption to make dramatic moves — and Cuban also has a burning desire to win a championship. How about trading Antoine Walker, Michael Finley and Antawn Jamison for the Big Winner?
Win, lose or draw in the next month, the fun has just begun. Check back for further developments.
© 2004 The Sporting News
