Lakers Rumors: Phil Jackson's Influence Not Welcomed By All In Organization
With conversations about who will be the next person to take the role of head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, plenty of names have been brought up. Now, many have also decided to put in their two cents and this includes iconic head coach Phil Jackson, according to Sam Amick from the Athletic.
"The Zen Master matters again in Lakers Land. That was the case last season when owner Jeanie Buss welcomed his perspective on everything from Vogel’s performance as coach to the challenging Russell Westbrook dynamics surrounding his struggles," said Amick.
Phil Jackson was successful wherever he went, whether he was in Chicago or in Los Angeles. With that said, it makes sense that Jeanie Buss would take what he says into consideration. Amick continued and talked about how apparently, Phil Jackson's opinion is not welcomed by some of those in the Lakers front office
"Make no mistake, there are powerful people close to the Lakers who aren’t thrilled with the reality that Jackson’s voice is being taken into account when he has no formal position with the franchise. Like it or not, though, Buss has relied on this sort of informal counsel from people she trusts for years now. That was the case with Kobe Bryant before his passing and had everything to do with the choice to hire his former agent, Lakers vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka, in February 2017," said Amick.
Although Jackson does not work for the Lakers, he is trusted by some in the front office. The hunt for a new head coach continues and the Lakers will most likely look at every candidate possible before making a decision.