Phil Jackson retired as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers after Sunday's stunning beatdown at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks, who executed a shocking 4-0 sweep of the two-time defending champions. Jackson, who has an NBA-record 11 championships as coach and the No. 2 winning percentage of all-time (behind current Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau), has maintained since last summer that this would be his last season, and he said nothing on Sunday to defy that promise.
Phil Jackson Retires: Will Lakers Hire Brian Shaw Or Hold Full Coach Search?
That leaves the question of which way the Lakers will go in replacing the legend. Brian Shaw, a former Laker and Jackson's longtime assistant, has been seen as the heir apparent, especially since Kurt Rambis (another "student of Jackson") left to coach the Minnesota Timberwolves (to miserable effect) two years ago. But the conventional wisdom has a way of getting mucked up in La-La Land, and Lakers' brass could throw a wrench into the succession plans.
To that effect, J.A. Adande reports that the coaching search will be wide open.
A source described the Lakers’ coaching search as “wide open.” He said the decision-making chain was executive vice president of player personnel Jim Buss, owner Jerry Buss, then Kupchak -- “in that order.”
While the job is certainly the most prestigious in the NBA and comes with a roster full of talent, it’s among the most challenging gigs a coach could have, given expectations and the personality battles that seem part-and-parcel with the franchise.
See More:
