Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher have moved one step closer to the Zen Master making his first New York Knicks coaching hire.
Former coach and one-time player spoke over the phone on Wednesday about the prospect of the 39-year-old Fisher going from an Oklahoma City Thunder uniform to coach of one of the league's most storied franchises.
Phil Jackson says no one is untouchable
ProBasketballTalk.com reports the two briefly talked hoops and philosophies and now plan to reconvene for perhaps a longer conversation sometime next week. The website adds Fisher now plans to engage his family about the prospect of taking on a project as major as trying to rebuild the Knicks.
Fisher previously played under Jackson in L.A. and has now emerged as his top candidate after the Knicks' newly-minted president of basketball operations was spurned by fellow former player Steve Kerr, who took the same job in Golden State.
Jackson is so enamored with Fisher that he was recently fined $25,000 by the league for directly mentioning him by name while the Oklahoma City Thunder were still active in the playoffs.
Fisher played 17 NBA seasons, winning five NBA championships playing alongside Kobe Bryant. Over his career, he has averaged eight points, three assists and two rebounds. His best season came with Golden State in 2005-06, when he averaged 13 points, four assists and three rebounds.
Other names mentioned as candidates for the Knicks include Brian Shaw, Kurt Rambis, Mark Jackson and Mike Dunleavy Sr.
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