The Los Angeles Lakers front office brass has some serious explaining to do. The Tinseltown team, who leaked that there was a 95 percent chance that “The Zenmaster,” Phil Jackson would be returning courtside, did an about face Sunday night and named Mike D’Antoni as its new head coach. Yes, you read that right. The Lakers chose D’Antoni over Jackson.
No shade to D’Antoni, but I’m not sure in what alternative universe a coach with zero championships is deemed to be the better pick than a guy with double digit rings. No matter what metrics are used, Jackson is a vastly superior coach. He trounces D’Antoni in regular season winning percentage (.704 to .534), playoff winning percentage (.688 to .437), playoff appearances (20/20 to 5/10) and championship trophies (11 to 0).
After firing Mike Brown just five games into the season, Lakers fans clamored for the return of the man who led the league’s premier franchise to five championships. They chanted “We want Phil!” at home games and held up signs as if they were Batman beacons, calling for the Hollywood hero to return once again to save the city.
Though team officials suspected the retired Jackson would have little desire to return to his elevated courtside seat, they reached out to the coaching legend, in part because they knew the fans would riot if they didn’t at least ask.
To many people’s surprise, the coach who retired amid health concerns in 2011 had a strong desire to return to lead the Lakers’ loaded roster of stars. A Saturday meeting with owner Jerry Buss, team president Jim Buss and GM Mitch Kupchak seemed fruitful enough and it seemed that all that was left was for Jackson to sign on the dotted line.
Though a formal offer was never made, Jackson asked for two days to ponder over a final decision. During that time his Chicago-based agent prepared to fly to L.A. for Monday morning contract talks.
But a strange thing happened Sunday night. Kupchak phoned Jackson just before midnight with a hearty and oh-so-classy “thanks but no thanks.” Jackson was stunned. Lakers fans are furious.
Of course rumors have flown in every direction since the Jackson talks began. Some sources reported that Jackson asked for the moon. He allegedly wanted to be the highest paid coach, have the final say in personnel decisions and be allowed to skip certain road games for the sake of his health. Jackson and other sources have denied the rumored demands, claiming they never discussed salary nor did he make a power grab.
But let’s keep it real, even if he demanded the moon, Kupchak and crew should have thrown in some stars for good measure.
Phil’s greatness has always been his ability to manage superstar egos and enigmatic players. The Lakers starting five of Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard are the kind of lineup that needs Phil Jackson. These players don’t need to be told how to set picks, when to take shots or defensive fundamentals. Their egos need to be stroked and blended, they need to be reminded of proper spacing and they need to have confidence that their coach can help lead them to the Promised Land.
With that said, D’Antoni certainly isn’t a bad coach. His exciting brand of offense-first basketball will certainly bring excitement back to LA. D’Antoni’s strategy is simple: shoot early and often. Unlike in Mike Brown’s poorly-run Princeton offense, Nash should thrive in getting the ball to his team of all-stars. Defensively, D’Antoni’s system has more holes than a mesh practice uni but with Howard, Bryant and World Peace on board, it’s hard to imagine the Lakers will struggle too badly on the defensive side of the ball. Bryant and Co. still have championship potential with their new head coach, but they lack Jackson’s championship pedigree.
In the end, the decision may have come down to personal reasons. Jackson and Jim Buss have never been besties. Besides his longtime relationship with Buss’ sister Jeanie, Jackson’s 11 championships have brought forth a bit of arrogance. He’s also never been afraid to ruffle front-office feathers.
Buss always seemed to resent Jackson for his unorthodox ways and his eager acceptance of the credit for his role in the Lakers’ titles. The Jackson snub seems like a chance for Buss to win his way and an opportunity to finally one-up the man who is more beloved in LA than anybody not named Magic.
The choice was quite a risk, but then again, this is Hollywood where drama is king. Now the pressure on D’Antoni reigns supreme.
