Finals spotlight could be on Jackson

LA Daily News: Could the Phil Jackson saga end up overshadowing Game 1 of the NBA Finals?

It all depends on what the Lakers’ former — and famously unpredictable — coach has to say tonight.
A year after he coached in the Finals, Jackson is scheduled to be a guest on ABC’s half-hour pregame show, the network said Wednesday. Jackson also could appear at halftime of the Detroit-San Antonio game.

It will be Jackson’s most significant interview since returning from his six-week vacation to Australia and New Zealand in late February and comes about a week before the mid-June deadline he gave for reaching a decision about his coaching future.

Jeanie Buss, Jackson’s longtime girlfriend and a Lakers executive vice president, said the ABC interview had been arranged over the past couple of weeks but that Jackson would not be revealing his future plans.

“If there was a decision,” Buss said, “this is not how (the Lakers) would have announced it anyway.”

She later added: “I’m still optimistic things are going in the right direction. Hopefully, we’re going to know at some point soon if we’ll have Phil back as our coach.”

Jackson likely will stick to offering his thoughts on the Finals and the two teams with which his Lakers became well acquainted over the years. Even so, Jackson figures to be asked whether he will be coaching next season during his appearance.

ABC spokesman Mark Mandel said: “We have not been given any indication that there is an announcement for (Jackson) to make, from what I have been told. We have to wait and see what happens when he’s on.”

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak is attending the NBA’s pre-draft camp in Chicago this week along with assistant general managers Ronnie Lester and Jim Buss and several other members of the organization. Owner Jerry Buss still is vacationing in Europe.

Jackson was expected to have some public comment concerning his future before the Finals. And his representatives, who did not return messages Wednesday, were believed to be arranging the ABC interview since late last month.

Jackson had been trying to set up a meeting with Kobe Bryant in recent weeks, a critical step in Jackson’s possible return as Lakers coach. Without it, Jackson’s decision would be greatly complicated, sources said.

But Bryant reportedly did not want to meet with Jackson out of fear of being blamed if his former coach did not return. The Lakers have said Bryant would have input in the hiring of their next coach but would not be involved in the decision-making process.

Jackson is likely either to agree to return as Lakers coach or decide to take another season off. If he opts for the latter, Jackson still could rejoin the Lakers organization but in a front-office capacity, possibly as a consultant.

He last spoke publicly at a fund-raiser for the Positive Coaching Alliance on May 14, when he admitted having an interest in coaching the Lakers again.

“I’ve considered it, I will say that,” Jackson said then. “And there’s still some steps to go. But that’s going to take some time, and I’m going to take time to think about it.”