Los Angeles Lakers legendary coach Phil Jackson has not been around the NBA in any official capacity since 2017, when he and the New York Knicks parted ways after three years of him as their top basketball decision-maker in the front office. That tenure wasn’t perfect, but it capped off one of the most successful careers by any person in NBA history.
And that’s why the former player, coach, and executive still has a strong pull around the NBA. And his battle for over a decade within the league has been an oft-discussed way of making the game match the increased speed and athleticism of the players, as he explained in a social media post:
15 years I’ve been asking the NBA rules committee to widen the court apron. Corner shot b-comes 23.9”
— Phil Jackson (@PhilJackson11) April 27, 2026
This came as a response to a pull quote from Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr about eliminating the 3-point line altogether. That obviously would never happen, but Kerr’s point is that the corner triple is too valuable with how close it is to the basket and it creates an imbalance in the shot profile of the average player.
Jackson’s response — to widen the court — would make it to that all 3s are around the same length, avoiding one shot being infinitely more valuable than any other shot. It would also allow for more spacing in a game that has become overrun with elite athletes.
Some would argue that in an NBA that already heavily favors the offense, expanding the court would do so even more. It’s an interesting debate, and one that’s unlikely to actually result in any change, as wider courts means fewer seats in the arenas and less money.
But it seems Jackson is going to continue fighting this fight.
LeBron James: Lakers aren’t comfortable with 3-1 lead
The Lakers currently hold a 3-1 series lead over the Houston Rockets after dropping Game 4 in Texas. No team in NBA history has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a series, but LeBron James is taking no comfort in that fact.
“Hell no,” James said when asked if the Lakers are comfortable with this series lead. “There’s no such thing as being comfortable until a series is done. None of us are.”
James is taking a page out of Kobe Bryant’s book, keeping his team focused until the series is over.
If you love our reporting, choose LakersNation.com as a preferred source on Google.
