Quote:
Phil Jackson was prepared to return to the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday morning if negotiations between his agent and the team went well, a league source told ESPNLosAngeles.com late Sunday night.
When the Lakers called to tell Jackson that they had instead chosen Mike D'Antoni to be their next head coach, he was "stunned," according to the source, because he had been under the impression "it was his job to turn down" although no formal offer had ever been made.
Quote:
Jackson and the Lakers had never spoken about a salary, the source said, "but he knew coaches don't make what he used to make anymore." He also never intended to miss any more road games than he had in his previous stints with the Lakers.
"Phil would come back only to win and skipping games doesn't lead to winning," the source said.
However, Jackson had wanted more say over basketball decisions, another source said.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Jackson was also seeking an ownership stake, according to a person familiar with the situation.
In the end, the Lakers felt D'Antoni gave them a better chance to win this year.
So he wanted to skip games, have more say over basketball decisions AND wanted stake in ownership.