The coaching search for the Los Angeles Lakers is in full swing, with the storied franchise already reaching out to a couple of candidates for interviews.
Darvin Ham and Adrian Griffin are the first two names to drop, but there could be many more before the team decides on who will be Frank Vogel’s successor.
Along with the news that the team will take a methodical process to hire a new head coach, Phil Jackson is helping Jeanie Buss and company with the search for a new leader on the sidelines.
Unfortunately, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic, Jackson’s involvement isn’t rubbing some close to the Lakers organization the right way:
Make no mistake, there are powerful people close to the Lakers who aren’t thrilled with the reality that Jackson’s voice is being taken into account when he has no formal position with the franchise. Like it or not, though, Buss has relied on this sort of informal counsel from people she trusts for years now.
Jackson’s legacy as a head coach in the NBA is unmatched in the eyes of many, with 11 titles to his credit. He won six with the Chicago Bulls and followed up with five with the Lakers throughout two different stints.
He’s arguably one of the greatest coaches in sports history, but the same can’t be said for his short time as an executive with the New York Knicks. Jackson’s stint in New York was forgettable. That poor performance as an executive may have these “powerful people” worried about his involvement and influence over the team’s front office moving forward.
The rumors have been swirling about some coaching candidates along with Ham and Griffin. Doc Rivers, Nick Nurse, Mark Jackson, Quin Snyder, and Juwan Howard are among those candidates.
It’ll be interesting to see which direction the Lakers take in the coming weeks and just how involved Jackson is in the process.
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