Phil Jackson To Remain With Lakers
November 30, 2007 by admin
Filed under Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.
After weeks of negotiating, Jackson has agreed to a two-year extension with the Lakers that will keep him under contract through the 2009-2010 season. Reportedly, Jackson will make $24 million over those two seasons.
Jackson, 62-years-old, has nine championship rings as a coach and if he would have left the Lakers, that would have been a devastating blow to the franchise. Kobe Bryant is already not on the greatest of terms with the organization and if Jackson had decided to leave the Lakers, Bryant likely would have followed him out the door.
Can Jackson add to his championship collection over the next two seasons? Probably not. The team is playing well this season but they aren’t considered a true championship contender. Kobe and company are good enough to make the playoffs and maybe make it to the second round, but that’s the ceiling for the Lakers.
The only way that changes in the next couple of seasons is if Andrew Bynum can continue improving to the point to where he’s a legitimate star. Right now, Bynum is a very promising 20-year-old center. He’s averaging 11.1 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks for the Lakers in 25.6 minutes per game. For the Lakers to truly become contenders again, Bynum is going to have to take the next step and be co-star on the Lakers next to Bryant.
