Derek Fisher has emerged as the leading candidate to coach the New York Knicks, but the current Oklahoma City Thunder guard and former longtime Los Angeles Laker has at least one detractor.
NBA sets parameters in relationship between Phil Jackson and Jeanie Buss
His former employer.
The New York Daily News reported that Los Angeles Lakers president Jeanie Buss, who doubles as New York Knicks president Phil Jackson's fiancée, tried to convince Jackson to hire himself as the Knicks coach.
According to the Daily News, Jackson insists he's not going to coach, but her request is unusual in multiple levels based on which approach Buss was taking with the question: Was she asking as his fiancée or as a rival?
In all likelihood, it was the former, but it does raise some ethical issues between the two.
Jeanie Buss "betrayed" by her brother, Jim
The Lakers, like the Knicks, are without a coach, and Fisher, who played 12-plus seasons in Los Angeles, is said to be a candidate for the Lakers' job, too. Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak has indicated that the Lakers won't contact coaches until they find out their draft position on Tuesday night during the NBA Lottery.
That means Buss may have been trying to keep Fisher as a viable candidate when the Lakers open their search. Or even if the Knicks don't hire Fisher, the fact that Buss asked Jackson to coach the Knicks means one more potential candidate available to the Lakers.
The NBA may look into the situation after setting parameters between the couple in March when he accepted the Knicks president position.
"The Knicks' hiring of Phil Jackson is subject to the league's conflict of interest rules," NBA spokesman Mike Bass told ESPN.com, as reported by Sports World News. "To avoid even the appearance of a conflict, we have addressed the issue with the Knicks and Lakers to ensure that the relationship between Jeanie Buss and Phil Jackson will not affect how the teams operate."
Surely, Buss knows her fiancé loves to coach and probably made the suggestion because the entire NBA benefits when he is coaching. But the very nature of the dichotomy in their relationship shows that they may not be able to maintain both relationships.
Do you think the NBA will ban Jeanie Buss from talking to Phil Jackson about any league-related matters? Comment below or tell us @SportsWN.
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