LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Lakers came calling and Phil Jackson was ready.
He said he was “physically much stronger,” having spent the last few months in daily workouts with a trainer at a high-end gym near his home in Playa del Rey. He could handle the grind of an NBA season, and he was intrigued by the “excitement and talent of the team, and the attraction.”
The Lakers, a team Jackson had coached to five NBA championships, had fired coach Mike Brown after losing four of their first five games this season. The fans were calling for him, literally, chanting “We want Phil!” at home games Friday and Sunday.
Did Phil want the Lakers?
Maybe he did.
Jackson said he vacillated over the question all weekend after meeting Saturday with team vice president Jim Buss and General Manager Mitch Kupchak, who went to his home. He hadn’t solicited the visit, but he welcomed them.![]()
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