With the Knicks slouching under .500 and Coach Mike D’Antoni’s offense having gone missing since Carmelo Anthony arrived, Phil Jackson’s name resounds louder and louder in New York.  Read more after the jump.
How could it not? The city remains so special to Jackson that his girlfriend, Jeanie Buss, the daughter of the Los Angeles Lakers’ owner, is always wondering whether he will end his career where it started in the 1960s, when he was the Knicks’ resident hippie. And, she is quick to note, there are hourly nonstops between the two coasts.
But all that will matter only if Jackson decides he does want to sit on the bench again, despite his age and his aches and pains. He has always wanted to make the break from coaching and, after two tries, has never been happier than he now is in retirement No. 3. Here, the sky is blue, the temperature is in the 60s and the beach is five blocks from the 10-table bistro where he ate lunch Thursday.
“I have no desire to coach,†he said. “You never say never, right? I mean, there’s always something that might change my mind — but I just don’t see it.
“Without a doubt, New York is special,†he continued in a vein a little more encouraging for Knicks fans. “Why wouldn’t it be? When I was there, it was one of the greatest times to be in New York. I mean, the Mets, Jets and Knicks won championships all in one year.â€
