After a miserable 2012-13 NBA season for the Los Angeles Lakers following a huge offseason, many fans are now left wondering what could have been had Phil Jackson taken over the team. Well, at the very least, he's finally telling us all why he didn't end up back in L.A.
On a tour to promote his new book Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success, Jackson showed up on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to talk about the Michael Jordan versus Kobe Bryant debate and give his side of the story on why he didn't end up coaching the Lakers.
Much as the story was told when it happened, Jackson recalls talking to Lakers vice president Jim Buss for an extended period of time, telling Buss he was positive he could coach the roster they had put together.
Jackson requested the weekend to think about it.
But late on that Sunday night, Jackson got a call from Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak, who informed Jackson that the team had decided to hire Mike D'Antoni.
The decision caused a rift between Buss and his sister (and now Jackson's fiancée) Jeanie, who didn't speak to each other for an extended period of time.
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Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Jesse Dorsey
Phil Jackson Reveals True Story of Lakers Snub
May 18th, 2013 by Jesse Dorsey Leave a reply »
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