Los Angeles Lakers’ General Manager Mitch Kupchak expects Phil Jackson to retire from coaching
The Los Angeles Lakers’ general manager (GM) Mitch Kupchak is foreseeing the retirement of the Lakers’ head coach Phil Jackson. Kupchak was talking to the media on Sunday night, after the Lakers were swept off the play-offs by
the Dallas Mavericks.
Kupchak said, “I think this is it, we’ll sit down and talk, but I've gotten no indication that he won't retire. We just talked briefly and I thanked him for what he's done for the organization. It was a pleasure to work with him.
Everybody who is a coach in this league works endless hours. I'm not going to say he works harder than any other coach in this league. He certainly works as hard as any of them. But he's different. He's got a feel that I think a lot of coaches don't have.”
Phil Jackson spent twenty seasons in National Basketball Association (NBA) as a head coach. During that reign, Jackson established himself as one of the most successful coaches in the history of the league.
In his illustrious career, Jackson won 11 championships, including three 3-peats. His first two 3-peats came with the Chicago Bulls, when he was mentoring the best player ever to grace the NBA, Michael Jordan. He then propelled
the Los Angeles Lakers to three successive titles from 2000 to 2002 and was hoping to repeat the 3-peat fourth time, this post-season.
The Los Angeles Lakers were however totally outplayed by the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference semi-finals and failed to provide a befitting end to one of the greatest coaching legacies of NBA.
The shocking defeat proved to be the final straw for Jackson. “All my hopes and aspirations are, this is the final game that I'll coach, this has been a wonderful run.”
Although Jackson has announced his departure, the Lakers are still having their fingers crossed as Jackson has made comebacks before. However, this time it appears that the sun has finally set on his illustrious career.
The Lakers’ management is in position to appoint a successor for their team, but the Lakers’ GM Kupchak was not ready to give any kind of details to the media regarding who will be coming in-place of Phil Jackson. Kupchak explained
that he is not yet fully prepared to talk about the vacant coaching position in the Lakers’ side.
However, the Lakers’ entire roster and especially superstar Kobe Bryant is not pleased over as their head coach is retiring from the game. Speaking to the media, Kobe attributed Jackson for all his success and rued the fact that
he and his team failed to five him a winning farewell.
Lakers’ point guard Derek Fisher also sated his feelings regarding their legendary coach and said he believed the entire Lakers’ roster know and have a firm believe on the fact that they have played under one of the best coaches
in professional basketball.
Tags: