On Thursday’s ESPN Los Angeles 710 AM radio show, Jeannie Buss hinted that her long-time beau, Phil Jackson, may not be done coaching. The Lakers Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations is now engaged to the former Lakers coach, but Buss said during the live radio segment that the Zen Master could be amenable to coaching again, but “it has to be the right situation.”
Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times reports that Jeanie said Jackson “still has that need where he’s got to coach something.”
In the opening couple weeks of the 2012-13 season, the Lakers fired coach Mike Brown after he started the season 1-4 despite the new additions of Steve Nash and Dwight Howard. The Lakers immediately interviewed Jackson to take over, but ended up hiring Mike D’Antoni instead.
When asked about the possibility of Phil coming back to coach the Lakers, Jeanie responded that “Phil felt he was better for Dwight Howard,” but he “has said the team now is really going to do well under D’Antoni’s system.”
Jeanie continued to speculate about her fiancé.
“I don’t know how things are going to turn out. I just don’t think he’s done contributing yet. I think he’s got a lot to give.”
Jackson retired after the 2011 season and it was revealed he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in March of 2011, but kept it quiet until after the season concluded. Buss said Jackson was now “cancer-free,” and “that was “hanging over his head” his last season in Los Angles.
Do you think Phil Jackson will ever coach again?
Follow Spencer on Twitter at @countcenci.
Follow Dime on Twitter at @DimeMag.
Become a fan of Dime Magazine on Facebook HERE.
