Phil Jackson’s return seems to have made an instant impression with the New York Knicks. Just under 72 hours after Jackson took over as president of basketball operations, Carmelo Anthony led the team to a surprise win against the first-placed Indiana Pacers.
Jackson’s move to the Knicks sent a shockwave through the NBA. Suddenly, a struggling franchise full of egos has turned into the No. 1 destination for free agents league-wide. The coaching legend widely known for his 11 rings as head coach has also succeeded on the court, with two rings as a Knick in the 1970s alongside Walt Frazier.
At this point, any talk of his successes as a president is pure speculation. There is no doubting that he is a basketball man, and to succeed in the NBA you need a basketball man to make basketball decisions. There are not many indirect owners in the NBA with success, and the ones who do have basketball men leading their franchise.
Jackson’s major contribution to the franchise is his star power. What free agent would not want to hear what an 11-time championship coach has to say?
Additionally, the current players will inevitably aim up having him around. Heading into an off season where the biggest player in the world is a free agent, there will suddenly be an ‘air of confidence’ that the Knicks can land their man.
James Dolan’s masterstroke of bringing Jackson could be the first step towards bringing in who he really wants, Lebron James. The prospect of bringing a championship to a franchise that has craved it since the ’70s, located in the biggest sports market in the world, could be what sways James to take his talents to Manhattan. Particularly given Jackson owns more rings than he has fingers.
Dolan has been criticised for being a below par owner in the past – and rightly so with a number of ‘questionable’ big name appointments – but none have been bigger than Jackson.
The cohesiveness of owner, general manager and president was portrayed as the three stood side by side united at Jackson’s introduction, answering questions from the unrelenting New York media outfit.
One of the reasons why past appointments have failed was the constant interference from the owner. When asked if he was going to let Jackson handle basketball decisions, 58-year-old Dolan simply said, “willingly and gratefully”. Dolan seems to respect the former Lakers and Bulls coach, and knows that he would be out of his league if they were ever to argue.
It was clear that a major reason why Jackson agreed to take the job was the clarity of each other’s positions when it came to basketball matters.
“Jim knew I wasn’t going to come if this didn’t happen, so there’s no reason for him not to have said it,” said Jackson. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here.
This appointment will send shivers through GMs around the league who want to compete – namely Chicago, Oklahoma City, Miami and the Lakers. Jackson’s appointment means that the Knicks become a huge threat on and off the court.
Teams from around the NBA know that they need to be better as a result. It will be difficult for players to not be enticed by a Jackson-led team in the biggest market in the NBA.
For the Lakers and their fans, it brings a sense of closure. There is still resentment in Los Angeles against Jim Buss for not appointing Jackson as head coach. He instead appointed the unpopular Mike D’Antoni, which led to the Dwight Howard debacle and the franchise now suffering their worst season in recent years.
The next two off-seasons bring a wealth of headline free agents, and both franchises will seem to go head to head for all of them.
The awkward relationship between Jackson and his partner, who happens to be Lakers president Jeanie Buss, would be an interesting story to watch unravel. One can only imagine the number of sleepless nights in their household come free agency.
Knicks fans will sit anxiously and patiently as they have for years for the legendary coach to make his moves, and will look to Miami’s Pat Riley as a success story.
Riley’s transition from coaching has been a success and Knicks fans would hope that their own man can emulate him. At the very least, Jackson’s move will bring parity to the league and make Madison Square Garden a place of memories once again.
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