"I think he misses that dearly" - Skip Bayless proposes blockbuster Frank Vogel replacement in 11-time NBA champion and his apparent feud with LeBron James
NBA and Western Conference powerhouse LA Lakers are in the midst of an incredibly disappointing campaign thus far. That has prompted rumors of head coach Frank Vogel being replaced with none other than former head coach of the franchise Phil Jackson.
On Fox Sports' morning show Skip and Shannon: Undisputed, sports media personality Skip Bayless spoke about the situation. He said he could see the Zen Master returning to the fold as the head coach of the organization given his close ties with the hierarchy of the franchise. Bayless said:
"Has he suddenly re-emerged because he wants to coach again? I wouldn't put it past him. Because I think he misses that dearly. And I think he would be able to convince Jeanie - hey, I could coach this group if I have LeBron for a year or two more."
The Lakers are currently ninth in the highly competitive Western Conference with a record that reads 28 wins and 36 losses. They continue to be below the 0.500 mark for the season as current head coach Frank Vogel has been in the hot seat for quite some time now with the performances thus far.
As far as Phil Jackson is concerned, perhaps the thought of coaching LeBron James after having coached Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal might be too good of an opportunity to pass up.
.@RealSkipBayless proposes that Phil Jackson could take over as the next head coach for the Lakers: https://t.co/RAZtCNxGBk
Will Jackson replace Frank Vogel as the head coach?
The 13-time NBA champion, twice as a player with the New York Knicks and 11 as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls and the LA Lakers, Phil Jackson returning to coaching would be an incredible story but one that seems far fetched at the moment. Jackson retired from coaching in 2011 after being swept by the Dallas Mavericks in the postseason.
Current head coach Frank Vogel's job security has been under threat for a couple of months now, despite leading them to the championship in 2020. Frank Vogel is known for his defensive prowess and his ability to set teams up that are hard to beat, like his Indiana Pacers team. However, the Lakers are currently ranked 17th in the league in terms of defensive rating and that hasn't helped his case.
The notion of Phil Jackson returning to the fold isn't completely unfounded as he has very close ties to the likes of Jeanie Buss, Kurt and Linda Rambis. Kurt Rambis, along with his wife, has been working as a close advisor to Jeanie as the latter is a close friend of the Lakers owner. However, Jackson retired in 2011 mainly due to the frantic travel involved with being the head coach of an NBA franchise.
The Last Dance premieres on ESPN at 9 ET.
Phil Jackson won 11 NBA titles as a head coach, the most in NBA history. He coached 20 NBA seasons and never had a losing record. The next-most seasons coached without a losing record in NBA history is 10, by K.C. Jones. h/t @EliasSports https://t.co/fQlemtzLrB
With that said, the Zen Master does have a history with two players in the roster - LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. King James has admitted in the past that he isn't a fan of Phil Jackson as the legendary coach called James' entourage "posse" in 2016. Carmelo is another player that he had problems with during their time together with the Knicks.
If LeBron does wield the power that the media reports he does, then it is hard to see Phil Jackson replacing Frank Vogel as the head coach of the LA Lakers. If he doesn't and this decision is very much down to Jeanie Buss, then given the likes of Kurt and Linda Rambis influencing her decision-making, then we could very well see the Zen Master return to the NBA.