Phil Jackson was recently spotted at a Los Angeles Lakers game. The eleven-time master coach has no official position with the Lakers, but should have some influence within the organization again.
As from a feature of The Athletic The former Lakers coach is said to be in contact with team owner Jeanie Buss and will advise her on the future of the franchise. Officially, the “Zen Master” has no function within the Lakers, but Buss should continue to trust the advice of the 76-year-old.
Jackson, who won five titles with the Lakers between 2000 and 2010, was long-time engaged to Buss and spends most of the winter months in Los Angeles, with Jackson living the rest of the year in a house in Montana. The Hall of Famer maintains good contact with Kurt Rambis and his wife Linda, who are considered Buss’ confidants.
Jackson was probably involved with the Lakers as early as 2019, at that time it was said to have been him who campaigned for Frank Vogel as the new head coach. Now the personality of Russell Westbrook should be of particular interest to Jackson, but it is not known how he sees the point guard.
Jackson’s influence is still explosive, since the relationship with LeBron James was never particularly good. In 2016, Jackson referred to James’ companions as a “posse”, prompting James to suspect hidden racism behind these comments. LeBron later criticized Jackson for his dealings with Carmelo Anthony, whom he later traded to the OKC Thunder as then president of the New York Knicks.
Whether Jackson can really influence decisions in the offseason is completely unclear. However, it was surprising that the Lakers publicly presented their former coach in the game against the Golden State Warriors.