Phil Jackson for President!

[Kilroy]

No, not that president...
Phil has said he wants a FO position, similar to Pat Riley's... Pat's title is 'President.' As far as I know, the Lakers don't have a team 'President'...

Why not?

I think it would be great to get someone in the FO that has some knowledge about what it takes to be an elite coach in the NBA. The team is missing that 3rd voice they had with Jerry. And I think we'd all be happier with Jim taking a step back a bit to act more like an Owner and less like a GM.

I've heard the gripes about Phil and Jim not getting along... I think they were over-blown. Jim said he thought of Phil 'Like a Brother'... And he soon will be. Also, regardless of his past personality conflicts, you have to respect his knowledge of the game and how to make a team work.

I think there was some friction between Mitch and Phil, but as long as you have the roles defined, why not give it a shot.

[BEazy]

Only one thing that's stopping us...Ole Jimbo Buss...

But we'll see if Jeanie convinces Jim and Mitch after they get married.

[EArl]

I wouldnt mind doing this, but i feel that Jimmy and him and possibly even Mitch could bump heads.

[billy_21]

bumping heads is a good thing in a working relationship, it shows that all parties involved want to acheive the same goal. It would be a super team in the FO and could just keep MDA as the figure-head coach while Phil gives him 'pointers' on defense and adjustments during the game.

[Gek]

Clever and corny, Kilroy.

[Kilroy]

Clever and corny, Kilroy.

Guilty...
Really just pointing out that a 'similar role to Riley's' actually would be a possibility in LA...
Perhaps it's a remote possibility, but a possibility just the same.

Honestly, I could see it happening.
But only if Phil wants it bad enough to integrate more selflessly into the organization. He needs to know it's a move for a longer term than coaching so the same ego that helped him in the coaching world would actually hurt him in a FO.

[EArl]

Clever and corny, Kilroy.

Not Corny enough

[EArl]

[FrobeBean]

should've been purple and gold

[Dr Aki]

lol clipper colours

[EArl]

They're not Clippers colors. That's just the logo of the colors used in the Obama 2008 campaign.

[Dr Aki]

They're not Clippers colors. That's just the logo of the colors used in the Obama 2008 campaign.

your facetiousness radar isn't working

also, clippers chose their colours because they wanted to be america's team, hence obama's campaign and the clips' colours are the same colours either way

[AI]

Although PJax is an amazing coach, I really don't want to see him in a managing position within this organization.

Just because Pat Riley is the president of the Heat doesn't mean we need Phil to become our president of basketball operations. We have someone who has been doing a superb job for the last decade in Kupchak already.

Besides, the only reason why Pat Riley in Miami works is because Arison gives him free-reign. Buss Jr. would NOT give PJax full reign, let alone Kupchak currently. You really think Mitch would have hired Dumbtoni if it was his choice to decide who would be the next coach? Absolutely not. Mitch would have done the right thing and gone after Brian Shaw, the person who should have replaced Phil from the very beginning. 'Antoni is all Buss's fault, there's no debate about it.

I love Phil, but I just don't see it working out with him in a managing role within THIS organization. If he's given free-reign over another organization, say the future Seattle team, then maybe it could work. Kupchak and Jim don't have enough power to share with another person like Phil Jackson. If Phil is coming back to this organization, he needs to be coaching or grooming a successor to coach.

[moonpie]

Should've gotten Mike "DVDs" Brown for President, damn you Gilbert!

[Kilroy]

I was thinking about this last night... If in Dr Buss's absence and with Jim moving into the pure ownership role, we do decide to add a President, my order of preference would be as follows.

1. Jerry West
2. Pat Riley
3. Phil Jackson

West is a no-brainer...
Riley's so high for me because I think his heart will always be with the Lakers, and I'd love for him to retire a Laker.
And for every negative you can throw at Riley coming back, you can throw the same at PJ double. Both won elsewhere, both were egotistical... But by all accounts Riley's more loyal.
I'd love to see PJ back but like everyone else will point out, it's a tough fit, and I don't want to sacrifice what we have to force him into a position in the FO.

[Slava]

I think West & Riley both have minor ownership stakes in Golden State and Miami. West pretty much felt betrayed because he was promised a part ownership and then ignored before Magic getting some.

[Kilroy]

I get that they aren't as 'available' as Phil. It's just my preference list.

I think West would come back if asked. Riley probably wouldn't until it was time to blow up the Heat.

Phil may be more likely. He already has an ownership stake with his common-law wife.
But I think he's probably the 'worst fit' of the 3.

[Slava]

Yeah Phil Jackson is a risk considering he's never been in that position before and we also do not know what his relationship with Mitch is. Its also worth noting that we heard rumors of Mitch to Portland right around when Phil's tenure as a coach as coming to an end, so that could well be Mitch's way of telling that he doesn't want any interference in his job.

Barring any health issue I cannot see Jim taking a backseat either, its his thing now and his one chance to prove himself after all the failed ventures he's suffered before on Dad's money.

[Beethoven]

If Jackson is elected president of United States he'll have his consultants and board of advisors do all the work while he naps at his White House desk with his arms folded and legs extended. Wake me up if there is any huge national crisis. Who will be Vice President? Tex winters?

[Run-MKE 311]

I would certainly be on board with this, but it really seems like a toxic triangle (no pun intended) between PJ, Jimmy and Mitch.

I hope that I am wrong in reading into this, but it is interesting cocktail talk.