Phil Jackson is returning to the Los Angeles Lakers following a reconciliation with the team that cut him loose last year after three NBA championships in five seasons.
The Lakers rehired Jackson on Tuesday, after he was let go by team owner Jerry Buss last June.
"This is something I never thought could possibly happen," Jackson said. "It's a pleasure to come back."
Jackson, who turns 60 in September, has had health issues in the past and underwent an angioplasty two years ago. He told an American television station before the opening game of the NBA Finals that he underwent a series of tests to make sure he was healthy.
Jackson agreed to a three-year contract. Terms were not announced, but it's believed he'll be earning between US$7 million and US$10 million per year, which would make him the highest-paid NBA coach ever.
Jackson's dismissal a year ago set in motion a makeover of massive proportions that proved to be disastrous.
Dominant big man Shaquille O'Neal demanded a trade, and superstar Kobe Bryant opted out of his contract to become a free agent the same day Jackson's five-year run as coach ended.
The futures of O'Neal and Bryant were decided the following month, with O'Neal being traded to Miami and Bryant staying with the Lakers.
Rudy Tomjanovich succeeded Jackson -- signing a five-year, US$30-million contract -- but lasted barely half a season, citing health reasons when he suddenly resigned Feb. 2.
Jackson's name was mentioned as a possible replacement almost immediately despite his having written a book detailing the 2003-2004 season in which he called Bryant uncoachable and made other disparaging remarks about the franchise.
"I think it's a matter of trust, a matter of rebuilding the trust that we had," Jackson said of his relationship with Bryant. "And yes, I have talked to Kobe; he actually called me this morning to congratulate me on the job. And I felt confident that he's confident that we can go forward."
Bryant's reaction to a possible return by Jackson seemed lukewarm at best during the past several months. But Bryant released a more positive statement through his agent, Rob Pelinka, shortly after the hiring was announced.
"When the Lakers began the search for a new head coach, I put my complete trust in Dr. Buss and [general manager] Mitch Kupchak to select the person they thought was best for the Lakers' organization," Bryant said in the statement. "In Phil Jackson, they chose a proven winner. That is something I support."
Shortly after Tomjanovich's resignation, Bryant said he would "roll with it" if Jackson returned. Two days after the season ended, Bryant said he didn't care who was hired as coach, adding he trusted the track record of Buss and Kupchak.
"Whoever they bring in here, I'm going to be ready," Bryant said. "I'm just open to whoever they feel like is going to get the job done."
Jerry Buss said in early May he believed Jackson and Bryant could coexist.
"Oh, definitely. No question," Buss said. "These people want to win."
With injuries playing a major role, the Lakers lost 19 of their last 21 games under interim coach Frank Hamblen to finish 34-48 and out of the playoffs for just the second time since 1976.
Jackson has coached nine NBA championship teams -- six with the Chicago Bulls and in his first three years with the Lakers.
Yu Yao-hsing on Tuesday nabbed Taiwan’s only goal in the final round of qualifiers for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, as they fell 3-1 to Sri Lanka at Taipei Municipal Stadium. Early goals from Sri Lanka in the first half left Taiwan struggling to get on the board, and Christopher Tiao’s own goal at 53 minutes sealed the team’s fate in the third round of qualifiers. While acknowledging that the defeat, Taiwan’s sixth in Group D, was disappointing, head coach Matt Ross said he saw reasons to stay positive about the team’s development. “There were lots of positive signs in terms of the
INDIGESTION: Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive time after a 4-1 defeat to Bosnia on penalties in a loss Gattuso said was ‘difficult to digest’ Coach Graham Arnold on Tuesday challenged his players to “shock the world” after Iraq became the 48th and final team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup with a nerve-shredding 2-1 win over Bolivia in an intercontinental playoff in Mexico, as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Sweden and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) also secured their places at the finals. Iraq, whose preparations were disrupted by the war in the Middle East, sealed their first appearance at the finals in 40 years and are to play in Group I against France, Senegal and Norway. Goals from Ali al-Hamadi
Teng Kai-wei, the only Taiwanese player on an opening-day roster in this year’s Major League Baseball (MLB) season, took his first win of the year with the Houston Astros in his season debut. Teng entered in relief in the top of the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, with the Astros trailing 5-0. He pitched 2-1/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts, as Houston scored 11 runs during his outing to snatch an 11-9 comeback victory. The win is the Astros’ first of the season and the third of Teng’s MLB career. “It’s my first time pitching for the Astros, so
Top seeded Jessica Pegula on Friday once again fought back from a set down to reach the WTA Charleston Open semi-finals with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win against Russia’s Diana Shnaider. Defending champion Pegula has lost the first set in all three of her matches at the tournament so far, but again dug deep to maintain her hopes of retaining the title. The world No. 5 from the US took 2 hours, 10 minutes to defeat 19th-ranked Shnaider, relying on a formidable service game that included eight aces. Shnaider battled well in the first two sets and broke early for a 2-0 lead
RSS