All signs are pointing toward the Lakers rehiring Phil Jackson to replace fired coach Mike Brown. But ex-Knicks head man Mike D’Antoni — who interviewed yesterday by phone — still is in the mix as the Lakers’ backup plan.
“If they offer it, I’d love it,” D’Antoni told FOX Sports Southwest.“It’d be a perfect fit.”
D’Antoni, who is tight with new Lakers point guard Steve Nash and was the boyhood idol of Kobe Bryant, said his recent knee surgery would not prohibit him from being on the Lakers bench beginning immediately.
Jackson, however, is the clear favorite, and the team’s website reported the 11-time title winner as a coach met with Lakers executive Jim Buss yesterday. The sides will speak again in the coming days, ESPN.com reported. The Los Angeles Times reported there’s a “95 percent’’ chance Jackson will return for his third stint in Hollywood, but he has asked for limits on his travel to road games because of his health.
“It’s Phil’s job to turn down,” a source told ESPN.com. L.A. fans chanted Jackson’s name during the Golden State win Friday.
Assistant coach Bernie Bickerstaff will coach the team on an interim basis, but has said he expects that to be a short-term role. The Lakers plan to speak with Mike Dunleavy today.
As reported first by The Post, Jackson never received a phone call from Knicks owner James Dolan before he promoted interim coach Mike Woodson last May. Jackson subsequently said the Knicks had a “clumsy’’ roster with the combination of Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire and may not have been interested.
The Knicks play in Los Angeles on Christmas.
The Lakers were 1-4 under Brown, but crushed the Warriors on Friday night, 101-77, after announcing Brown’s firing earlier in the day.