4 Outside-the-Box Head Coaches Lakers Should Target to Replace Darvin Ham
By Cem Yolbulan
Phil Jackson
Alright, let's have a little fun here. Yes, Phil Jackson hasn't coached in 13 years. Yes, he is 78 years old. Yes, his latest stint with the Lakers didn't end well when they got swept by the Mavericks.
All of this is true.
But, Phil Jackson is still the greatest coach in Lakers history and one of the best to ever do it. Old or not, if Zen Master is willing to return to coaching, the Lakers ownership and front office should be ready to listen.
Obviously, hiring Phil Jackson would complicate things for the Lakers' top brass. As a powerful figure, he will likely create a power struggle between him and GM Rob Pelinka. Whether he or LeBron James would want such an authority figure in the building is a big question. Plus, Jackson has a very specific type of demands from its players with his obsession with the triangle offense. LeBron can adapt to any playing style but he might not mesh well with the rigid Phil Jackson philosophy.
However, Jackson continues to have a good relationship with the organization. He was romantically involved with Jeanie Buss for a long-time before the two terminated their engagement back in 2016. Yet, Jackson maintains his involvement with the Lakers as he is regularly consulted. Most recently, he was a big part of the coach search in 2022 when the Lakers fired Frank Vogel to hire Darvin Ham.
If he is consulted about the coaching search again, who knows? Maybe he will mention his own name this time.