Phil’s Coming Back For More
It was announced this afternoon that Phil Jackson has agreed to a two-year extension with the Lakers.
From the L.A. Times:
Coach Phil Jackson has decided to sign a contract extension that keeps him with the Lakers for two more seasons.
Jackson met Wednesday with Jerry Buss and informed the Lakers owner of his decision.
Jackson, 62, will get a modest raise from the three-year, $30-million contract he signed in June 2005, which was the richest per-annum coaching deal in U.S. pro sports history. Jackson is expected to make $11 million or $12 million a season in his new deal.
“Everyone connected with Phil is pleased with his decision, something that only he could make after considering all aspects of what it means to be a head coach,” said Jackson’s agent, Todd Musburger. “Obviously, he’s up for it. There is a spring in his step.”
Aside from being paid a lot of money, does anyone find this a bit strange? He says he’s up for it, but we hear all the time about his health problems. And whether or not a Kobe deal ever happens, he seems destined to be coaching a very young squad that will finish in the second tier of the Western Conference at best. Not to mention that most nights he looks mildly interested at best on bench. If this was the end of the season and the Lakers made a real run and he still was feeling good, we could see it. This just feels a little premature…
November 29th, 2007 at 7:05 pm
penske1 says:
Hey, at the very least he’s making BIG bucks to coach basketball. I think he can deal with not winning, and even the “annoyance” of the travel involved for $12 mil. The Lakers keep a high-profile name in their corner. Sounds win-win to me.
Also, can’t coaches, like players, just decide to retire whenever they want even if they are in the middle of a contract? I don’t think he’s really locking himself into anything, contract or no.
November 29th, 2007 at 10:01 pm
buckets says:
completely off topic but i need to say this…i jus turned the knick game on…45 point defecit!!!i knew they wer guna get murked by the celtics but damn..they are on another level of suck right now
November 30th, 2007 at 2:56 am
MoxInTheWest says:
There is no way phil would stick around for another round of re-building. He must know something we dont know….ie they have a big trade in the works to either get Kobe some help, or trade Kobe for some championship caliber players. I’m convinced Phil and Dr Buss have something brewing that made Phil want to give it a few more years.
Oh, and if you’ve seem the Lakers play lately Phil has no spring in his step…he’s laboring at best.
November 30th, 2007 at 10:29 am
laballer says:
i actually kind of see this as a sign that he may have gotten some kind of signal from kobe about staying..who knows..all i know is i feel a hell of a lot better with him coaching the squad than i did when rudy t was there or when kurt rambis coached them..haha..on another note..i think ive realized why kwame isnt as good as he should be..physically he has all the attributes of a great player..he is sick athletic and can really be good defensively..i think it boils down to the fact that his bball iq is lower than isiah’s GM skills..he’s just sort of dumb i think..ive literally witnessed fish, farmar, kobe, walton and phil from the bench yelling at him to move or go somewhere other than where he is..like he just doesnt know where to be..i really think thats why he sucks..and why is mihm still on the lakers? wtf is he doing? turiaf for mayor..anyone else down?
November 30th, 2007 at 10:42 am
DOC says:
i think he got a sign that hes gettin 12 million a fuckin year i wouldnt give a damn if tony delk was my man