When Steve Kerr asked his broadcast buddy Marv Albert whether he should take the New York Knicks head coaching job, Albert's answer apparently was not, "Yessssss! ..."
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The New York Daily News reported that when Knicks team president Phil Jackson asked his former player, Kerr, to become coach of the team, Kerr had conversations with Albert, with whom he worked at TNT.
Albert was the voice of the New York Knicks for 37 years until being fired by current team owner James Dolan. He relayed what he went through with Dolan to Kerr.
"Well, I told him it never ends well there. Just look at recent history. It's because of one man (Dolan)," Albert told the Daily News. "There is no happiness there. I say this with all kinds of friends I have there and (the ones) at the MSG Network. Everybody hates being there. For coaches it's very difficult. Steve couldn't accept anyone (from MSG's PR staff) following him around with a tape recorder. Like Phil, Steve is a guy who wants to say what he wants to say," Albert continued. "He's very opinionated, which doesn't always work when you are at the (Madison Square) Garden."
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The longtime broadcaster took exception to reports that he was responsible for Kerr's decision of leaving the Knicks at the altar.
That's not true," Albert said. "I didn't know and I didn't want to know what was going on. Everybody was calling me, texting me looking for information. Steve, on purpose, didn't give us (the TNT crew) any details."
Albert insists Kerr did thorough research on working at the Garden.
"He was enamored by New York and Phil. It was more Phil than anything else," Albert said. "I know Steve felt bad when he said goodbye to Phil after making his decision. Steve really did check it out very carefully. To me it (his decision) was a no-brainer."
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