NBA/LA Lakers question

[johnsemlak]

Can someone straighten out something I am confused on, being an observer of the NBA from way afar?

I'm pretty sure I remember that Phil Jackson quit the LA Lakers after the season ended.

But In this article, it says Jackson was fired.

Can someone familiar with the situation fill me in on what happened there?

 

[Crothian]

Depends who you beleive. Many insiders seem to think that Kobe Bryant wanted Phil Jackson out so they fired him for that reason. I don't pay a lot of attention to the Lakers or Basketball but I am a sports fan and pick up things here and there. When Phil Jackson left the Lakers it was orginally reported that he quit, but later stories appeared saying he'd been fired.

 

[drothgery]

What I've heard is

• Phil thought he'd be coming into an impossible situation if he stayed, and therefore made very exorbiant salary demands for his new contract.
• Kobe wanted Phil to go
• The Lakers were committed to doing everything they could to keep Kobe

The end result was that although Phil wasn't technically fired (his contract ran out, and was not extended), and was forced out, the Lakers didn't have to push very hard to get him to go.

 

[johnsemlak]

Ok, thanks, makes slightly more sense.

Still, at the end of the day, I find it hard to believe Kobe Bryant could have forced Phil out by himself. I mean, as good as Bryant is, Phil Jackson is the top coach in the league by a huge margin.

But if Jackson wanted to leave anyway, which is what I originally thought, well, then probably he just left.

 

[Dimwhit]

Phil Jackson is the top coach in the league by a huge margin.

Yeah, it's hard to argue that when the man has coached 2 teams to 9 championships in, what, 15 years or so? Granted, he had some of the league's best talent, but still. I'd take him as coach any day. If I owned an NBA team, of course.

 

[Crothian]

Well, the fans come to see Kobe. He is the draw and the popular choice. Its why he's there and Phil and Shaq are not.

 

[johnsemlak]

Well, the fans come to see Kobe. He is the draw and the popular choice. Its why he's there and Phil and Shaq are not.

We'll, I'm not so sure a Kobe who plays for an unsuccessful team will be such a draw. And w/o Phil and Shaq they are likely to be much less successful. Plus, Kobe's personal life could be a significant wildcard.

But I haven't lived the the states for a while and maybe don't have the full picture.

 

[Crothian]

Its hard to say if Kobe will be a draw with an unbsuccessful team, but we'll find out this fall when the Lakers start the season. Kobe's trial is a wildcard but from what I've read the people don't seem to mind it or think he's guilty.

 

[drothgery]

Its hard to say if Kobe will be a draw with an unsuccessful team, but we'll find out this fall when the Lakers start the season. Kobe's trial is a wildcard but from what I've read the people don't seem to mind it or think he's guilty.

The Lakers certainly won't make the finals, or come close to winning their division (the Kings will win the Pacific easily; the Lakers & the Suns might make the playoffs; the Clippers and Warriors will suck). I'm not sure that makes them unsuccessful, though; they're probably in a group of about 10 teams fighting for five playoff spots in the West (assuming the Kings, T'Wolves, and Spurs win the Pacific, Northwest, and Southwest respectively; I'm far from alone in thinking this is extremely likely). Will fans show up for a Lakers team that's a little above .500? Maybe.