Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson still seems to have a strong relationship and the ear of Lakers owner and former girlfriend Jeanie Buss when it comes to making decisions on the court.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that "The Zen Master" is heavily still "significantly involved" in Los Angeles' organization, specifically helping the franchise during their head coaching search following the team's decision to part ways with Frank Vogel immediately after the season ended.
On Tuesday's edition of NBA Today, Wojnarowski dropped the bomb while also impling that Jackson also had a voice in the team's last coaching decision, resulting in the Lakers hiring Vogel.
"This is very much a committee in L.A. putting together this coaching search," Wojnarowski reported on Tuesday. "One person who is certainly significantly involved in this process is Phil Jackson."
The report is rather telling of Jackson's influence within the Lakers organization despite having no official role with the team since 2011.
Even though Jackson hasn't held a role with the Lakers for quite some time, he did come out of retirement three years after his final game in Los Angeles for a less memorable role in the front office as the New York Knicks president of basketball operations.
During his tenure, "the greatest coach of all time" managed to produce only an 80-166 record including an abysmal 17-65 campaign in 2014-15 which was the worst in franchise history. After a disappointing performance in New York and being the face of a lot of their problems during that time, the Knicks decided to fire Jackson in 2017.
While it's unclear exactly how much influence Jackson has on the Lakers' coaching search other than his role being "significant" is the 76-year-old even keeping track of the current status of today's NBA to make such a crucial decision?
If we look at Jackson’s experience running the Knicks, his involvement in the coaching search may not be all that inspiring for Lakers fans. The two coaches he hired in New York – Derek Fisher and Jeff Hornacek failed miserably.
Jackson also reportedly wanted Kurt Rambis to coach the Knicks. That probably would've turned out bad as well as Rambis was only 32–132 in his two seasons as the head coach in Minnesota.
Whatever move Jackson advises the Lakers front office to make, it needs to be a slam dunk. LeBron James, (although his stats would say otherwise) is in the final stages of his career--adding even more pressure on the Lakers to make the right decision.
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