Phil Jackson might have already left the Los Angeles Lakers when he signed a five-year deal with the New York Knicks, but ESPN LA has indicated that his legacy still hovers over them. Jackson was holding the reins during the time that the Lakers topped the league.
However, his time in the New York Knicks front-office executive has been quite disaster, which has led many to believe that he might return to the Lakers.
The Knicks presently sits at 10-39, which is the worst in the Eastern Conference, and the second worst in the league overall. "Like nothing I've seen before," Jackson told Harvey Araton of The New York Times. "So far, my experiment has fallen flat on his face."
With how NYK has been performing, it may seem like the Knicks President might be returning to his coaching spot with the Lakers, as hoped by many of the team's loyal fans. However, as reported by Sports Illustrated, he had already "divorced himself" from his former team.
"It's been four years since I was there," Jackson told The New York Post. "So, I've kind of just divorced myself from them." He also mentioned that the Lakers are actually "competing harder now," especially as their star player, Kobe Bryant, is off the court due to an injury.
Still, despite Bryant's absence, he expects a good game between the Knicks and the Lakers (13-36), who have the second- and fourth-worst records in the league, respectively.
If Jackson does have plans to return to the Lakers, it looks like he is not saying anything about it for now. However, he made some rather interesting remarks that need to be examined a little further. Some parts of his statements seem to suggest that he is not expecting to stay in New York for so long since it was so far away from his fiance, and Laker executive, Jeanie Buss.
"He is 69, and is not planning on bearing the New York winters and making personal sacrifices for the long haul," says Araton. By "personal sacrifices," he most likely meant Jackson's relationship with Buss. His assignment in New York has only given him enough time for alternating monthly visits with his partner.
"It isn't ideal," he said. "It was not something I would necessarily bargain to do - to live away from the companion I've had for 15 years. But, she said, 'We'll be fine.' And there is something about being fruitful, purposeful in life."
