After what seemed like weeks of deliberation, rumors that he was possibly leveraging the New York Knicks against the Los Angeles Lakers to get the job he (presumably) really wanted, and a lot of TV and radio discussion, the wait is finally over.
Phil Jackson has formally been announced as the Knicks new president of basketball operations.
News coverage for Phil’s new job, from its early discussions to its formal announcement, has been at an all-time high. You can find plenty of coverage here on Sheridan Hoops:
[SHERIDAN: (Podcast) Phil Jackson Isn’t The Only Item Up For Discussion]
[BERNUCCA: Jackson’s Resume Alone Not Nearly Enough To Fix Knicks]
[SCOTTO: (Podcast) Phil Jackson Joining the New York Knicks]
[KAMENETZKY BROS.: Power Rankings: The Phil Jackson Effect … On Both Coasts]
[SH BLOG: Silver wants to raise age limit; who will be Phil’s first coaching hire with Knicks?]
[MAY: Memo to Phil Jackson: Beware the Nest of Vipers at MSG]
Tuesday, New York welcomed its new President home after decades spent elsewhere in the NBA.
.@PhilJackson11 is coming home as President of the #Knicks! #WelcomeHomePhil WATCH LIVE: http://t.co/5W0H0FsF83 pic.twitter.com/U3jHrthcVB
— NBA New York Knicks (@nyknicks) March 18, 2014
Jackson, as you’ll remember, spent 11 seasons in New York as a player in the 70s—getting his first two NBA championship rings there. Now, after 11 championships as a head coach with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, the 68-year-old Zen Master begins a new chapter in his illustrious career, taking a seat in the front office to run the team he once played for as an executive.
Magic Johnson offered congratulations as well as his own nuggets of advice, pointing to two former Laker greats—one a coach, the other a player—as great examples of top-end NBA executives.
Congrats to Knicks Owner Jim Dolan & GM Steve Mills on bringing in a champion and winner like Phil Jackson. — Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) March 18, 2014
All Phil Jackson has to do is look at 2 former players with Laker ties who are 2 of the best NBA executives ever, Pat Riley & Jerry West. — Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) March 18, 2014
Pat Riley & Jerry West set the standard on how to transition from being on the court to the front office. — Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) March 18, 2014
In addition to Magic, a few other former NBA players took turns lauding the Knicks executive hire.
Phil Jackson will surround himself with winners who know how to be successful in their position ! — Kenny Anderson (@chibbs_1) March 18, 2014
Exciting day for @nyknicks..Looking forward to learning from Phil Jackson — Allan Houston (@ALLAN_HOUSTON) March 18, 2014
Great day for #Knicks organization. Phil Jackson knows how to win championships and that accountability will resonate throughout. @alanhahn — Wally Szczerbiak (@wallyball) March 18, 2014
ACCOUNTABILITY has ARRIVED to the @Knicks organization!! — Bruce Bowen (@Bowen12) March 18, 2014
Now that Jackson has been confirmed as New York’s president, a new line of questions begin to arise, like, ‘What steps will he take to undo all of the wrong that owner James Dolan has done to right the ship and build a contending team?’
Unfortunately, for all intents and purposes, any progressive change in New York will be at least one, if not two or more years down the line. As he assumes control over the team, we are all left waiting to see if he can, in deed, turn the Knicks around.
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Michael writes the Tweet of the Day for SheridanHoops.com and is also a correspondent for BleacherReport.com. Follow @mbrumagin