BOSTON — There seems a movement — perhaps led behind the scenes by Lakers president Jeanie Buss, who is also his fiancée — to get Phil Jackson to change his mind about coming to New York and rejoin the Lake Show.
Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson spoke out about the impending hiring of Jackson, who has an agreement in principle to join the Knicks as president.
“It would be hard for me to understand that happening twice,” Bryant said of the Lakers passing on Jackson.
Jackson was passed over for the LA coaching job early last season in favor of Mike D’Antoni, who reportedly is expected to be fired after the season. (Jackson needs another knee replacement and has indicated no longer wants to coach.)
Jackson and Lakers executive Jim Buss have been at odds. Jeanie and her brother Jim also have a distant relationship. Jeanie has written about being “heartbroken’’ when Jackson didn’t get the Lakers head job last season.
Johnson, who no longer has a minority ownership stake in the Lakers, tweeted Wednesday:
New commissioner Adam Silver, at a conference in Boston, said he’s a proponent of Jackson as a front-office executive.
“I would love to see Phil Jackson get back in the league,” Silver said. “To have one of the game’s greatest [out of the game] is a loss for the NBA.”
Heat star LeBron James is familiar with Jackson’s success on the sidelines.
“Obviously, as a coach, we’ve seen his success,’’ James said in Miami before facing Brooklyn. “We understand he has a great basketball mind, from the outside looking in. But I’ve never been around him. We’ll see what happens. If it happens, we’ll all be able to see it unfold.”