Knicks CEO Wanted Jerry West To Replace Phil Jackson
What's the story?
New York Knicks' CEO had his eyes set on the former legendary player Jerry West to replace Phil Jackson after firing him.
In case you didn't know...
Jerry West was part of the board member most recently for the Golden State Warriors from 2011-2017 and had plenty of success with the organization as a team executive.
The heart of the matter...
The New York Knicks are not known for concealing their moves from the media and this one is no exception. According to Mitch Lawrence of Sporting News, Knicks CEO, James Dolan, considered Jerry West as the replacement for Phil Jackson.
Dolan reportedly contacted West to check whether he was interested in the offer. But according to Lawrence, West stated that it was not the correct time for him to head to New York and therefore ended up rejecting the offer in favor of his advisory role with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Dolan thus promoted Steve Mills to the president and appointed Scott Perry as the general manager of the New York Knicks.
What's next?
Steve Mills and Scotty Perry have made certain changes to the roster and it seemed to have worked pretty well for them till now. With Porzingis out, the Knicks have stumbled a bit after a good start to the season, but they should be impressed with what they have seen so far.
Author's take
Jerry West would have been a valuable asset to add as an executive taking into consideration the impact that he had on the Warriors' organization as he was the mastermind behind some key moves and trades that transformed the Dubs into what they are right now. Nevertheless, the Knicks seem to have improved substantially from last few seasons and would like to achieve greater goals in the seasons to come.