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The Los Angeles Lakers led by LeBron James and Russell Westbrook have been searching for a coach. It has turned into a saga of sorts. Coaches have refused offers from them which was impossible to think about a few years back. The Lakers front office has their task cut out in their search for a new coach.

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Less than two calendar years after winning the 17th NBA Championship in franchise history, the Los Angeles Lakers fired the coach that piloted them to that title, Frank Vogel.

Vogel became the fall guy for the most disappointing season in Lakers’ history when in reality, a lot of the issues with this team were not his fault. The coaches who were offered the job did not overlook them. This made it more difficult for the Lakers organization.

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They are now looking into the past to secure their future. The Lakers have hired former coach Phil Jackson for helping them in the search. The 11-time championship-winning coach has a longstanding personal relationship with owner Jeanie Buss and has asked her about the team before.

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Fans reaction to this move

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The fans are a bit wary about his involvement in the organization. He does not have the best record when involved in the past decade. These are some of the fan reactions to this addition to the Lakers organization:

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Phil Jackson’s history with LeBron James and the Lakers

There is a notable history between Phil Jackson and LeBron James and the Lakers.

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Jackson famously referred to LeBron James’ inner circle as his “posse,” a term with racial connotations. LeBron James said at the time that he had “nothing but respect for him as a coach” before the incident, but that respect was lost. “If he says it out to the media, I can only imagine what he says when the camera is not on him,” James added.

He has won five championships with the Los Angeles Lakers which include the three-peat of 2000, 2001, and 2002. He, also, won six more championships with the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls. His record for hiring coaches has been shocking, to say the least. He chose former Lakers point guard Derek Fisher to lead his Knicks when he was hired in New York.

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Fisher went 40-96 with the Knicks. After firing him due to an incident, he wanted to promote longtime confidante Kurt Rambis to the head-coaching position. The latter became an assistant and was very unpopular.

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The New York Knicks never reached the playoffs during Jackson’s presidency. He infamously drafted Frank Ntilikina over Donovan Mitchell, and his best draft pick, Kristaps Porzingis, grew so much with the team that he eventually got traded to the Dallas Mavericks.

He wasn’t the only star Jackson alienated. The former Lakers coach oversaw the degradation of the team’s relationship with Carmelo Anthony despite Jackson himself signing him to the long-term contract that Jackson wanted to trade.

Will Phil Jackson be the right fit for finding a coach? Discuss below.

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Written by

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Aditya Kar

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Aditya Kar is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports. A holder of Bachelors and Masters degrees in History, he has been a fan of the NBA since 2011. He has a very keen interest in the stories that define the league and the sport. Aditya is a passionate supporter of the Boston Celtics and believes that there is potential for this team to go to the Finals this year. Outside of watching the NBA, he loves playing soccer, video games, and watching documentaries.

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Edited by

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Arunaditya Aima

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