After nearly two weeks of seemingly endless speculation and rumors about the possibility of coaching legend Phil Jackson returning to the NBA in a front office role with the New York Knicks, he has finally signed a five-year, $60 million contract to become their president of basketball operations.
On Tuesday, the Knicks formally introduced their new president alongside general manager Steve Mills and team owner James Dolan, making it official that the Zen Master will be returning to the city where his NBA career began as a player over 40 years ago. While Jackson is arguably the greatest coach in NBA history, having won a remarkable total of 11 NBA Championship with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers between the years 1989 and 2011, many question marks still surround him and his ability to make a successful transition from head coach to team president, especially with the extra pressures and expectations that he will undoubtedly face in New York.
The obvious elephant in the room, however, is the question of whether or not Jackson can effectively coexist with Knicks owner James Dolan, who has rightfully earned himself a reputation of being very much a hands-on owner with an extreme lack of patience. During his tenure as the Knicks’ owner, Dolan has made a long series of well-documented controversial decisions and management missteps. Most notable among these are the firing of hall of fame coach Larry Brown after only one season with the franchise in 2006, and his now-infamous feud with former team president Donnie Walsh, which eventually ended in Walsh’s resignation from the team in 2011.
Despite the fact that Dolan has repeatedly displayed his desire for control over basketball decisions and a lack of patience for anyone else calling the shots, he has stated that Jackson will have full control over the team, and even went as far to say that he is “by no means a basketball expert”, and would “willingly and gratefully” cede his power over the team to Jackson. If that extraordinary claim holds true, there is no doubt that this is an excellent move by the Knicks, as Jackson is hands-down one of the greatest basketball minds in the history of the game, and his name value alone is sure to attract several high profile free agents to New York, regardless of what Carmelo Anthony will have you believe. His extensive experience and the success that he has experienced in the league should allow him to make a comfortable transition from coach to front-office executive, such as Danny Ainge and Pat Riley have proven is possible.
All factors considered, it is clear that whether or not Phil Jackson succeeds as president of the New York Knicks organization will largely depend on James Dolan’s ability to step back and allow Jackson to build his team while also remaining patient with the process and not expecting to immediately become contenders. If that happens, the Knicks will undoubtedly be able to bring in top talent through free agency, and even stand a much better chance of re-signing Carmelo Anthony, as they now possess an asset that 29 other NBA teams would undeniably love to have in Phil Jackson.
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