Despite being linked to nearly every vacant coaching gig in the NBA, Lakers coach Phil Jackson told Fanhouse in an exclusive interview that he plans to stay with the team he has coached for the past 10 years. Jackson previously declined the possibility of returning to the Chicago Bulls, where he coached from 1989 to 1998 and won his first six NBA titles. The New Jersey Nets and now the Cleveland Cavaliers have been suggested as landing spots for Jackson, but he insists that if he doesn’t retire, he’ll let Kobe keep making his job so easy.

The 10-time NBA champion coach has not completely denied the possibility of coaching in New Jersey or Cleveland, but he really hasn’t said that he’s interested, either. Jackson finds the Cleveland situation unique because the Cavaliers are essentially letting Lebron James determine who they hire, even though LeBron could sign with another team in a few weeks. But Jackson seems perfectly content with the possibility of a new contract with the Lakers, despite the rumored pay cut he’d have to take off of his current $12 million salary. Poor guy, he may have to pawn some jewelry.

Remain loyal to us, Fanhouse:

Asked if he anticipates returning to the Lakers, Jackson said, “Yeah.” But when asked if this was any revelation Jackson was providing, he reverted back to what he has said previously, saying, “No. Like I’ve said, 90 percent chance that, if I’m coaching, I’ll be back here.”

Jackson already has shot down a report linking him to the opening in Chicago, which Jackson led to six titles in the 1990s. But he now has not completely closed the door on jobs in Cleveland and New Jersey.

Jackson also weighed in on recent comments by Dwayne Wade, after the free agent Miami Heat superstar questioned the loyalty of the Chicago Bulls ownership to its former players. Wade said that Miami is incredibly loyal to former players, but he wonders why Michael Jordan is in Charlotte and Scottie Pippen hasn’t returned to the team in any management role. Jackson pointed out that there are plenty of players from his Bulls teams that are working in Chicago now, including John Paxson and Bill Wennington.

Somewhere Cliff Levingston and Dennis Hopson are wondering if anyone remembers them. And the answer is no.

"Good God, where did you eat? Arby's?"

If Family Fued were to do a survey on ‘Most Common Things Said During the NBA Playoffs,’ number one would be “one game at a time.” Apparently, Andrew Bynum wasn’t aware of this, because he’s already anticipating a Finals rematch with the Boston Celtics.

Man, it’s going to be amazing to play against those guys again. Especially having lost. We’re going to have a lot of fuel, a lot of ammo to throw at those guys. They’re definitely a great team. They’ve got great veterans on their squad. We know that. So we already are getting prepared. The first step is closing out Game 3. And after that we’ll be focusing on Boston, looking at them play, watching how they’re playing Orlando, and try and pick up as much as we can. –Orange County Register

Phil Jackson, zen master extrodinare, is less than amused. Bynum has totally harshed his mellow, bro. Read the rest of this entry »

No, that crashing sound wasn’t Santa tumbling down the chimney with a second round of presents on Christmas night. That crashing was the sound of Ron Artest tumbling down the stairs and concussing…himself.

Artest didn’t travel with the Lakers to Saturday’s game at Sacramento after tripping over a box and falling down a flight of stairs at his home on Christmas night, the team said in a news release.

He was treated at UCLA Medical Center, undergoing a CT scan and receiving stitches in the back of his head and his elbow. A neurologist examined him on Saturday and confirmed he had a concussion, the team said. Artest is day to day.–Fanhouse.com

A rather clever reporter asked Phil Jackson for his “interpretation” of Artest’s injury, obviously fishing for dirt.  Because let’s face it, RonRon had to be schwasted, right? He had a little too much Courvoisier in his eggnog? Sans Ron, The Lakers finally got their check-mate over the Kings Saturday night in double OT. Which begs the question: was it his “certain physical presence” that was missed, or was it because he wasn’t there to bring the crazy?  Well Ron, here’s hoping you make a speedy recovery and we see you back on the court soon.  Better yet, here’s hoping we see you on tour soon.

The Lakers may have lost center Andrew Bynum for 8-12 weeks with an MCL tear, but that apparently isn’t going to faze Kobe Bryant.  Bryant let loose for 61 points in 36 minutes against the Knicks last night — the highest mark ever attained in the current Madison Square Garden — as the Lakers beat the Knicks last night 126-117 (UPDATE: video below).

Bryant shot 19-of-31 from the field and hit all 20 of his free throws for the fifth 60+ point game of his career, which may have been motivated by his close relationships with Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni and director Spike Lee, with whom he’s working on a documentary.

“I didn’t feel like sitting next to [Lee] and hearing him talking trash about the Knicks, so that was added incentive as well,” Bryant said. “Seriously. He’s going to get an earful tonight.”

Well, if he hadn’t scored 61 points, he could have fallen back on the “Miracle at St. Anna was a steaming pile of dogshit” defense.

Other NBA action: Chris Paul injures groin; Blazers beat Hornets… Spurs beat Golden State in OT… Suns rout Kings.  I miss football season.

Read the rest of this entry »

Lakers guard Jordan Farmar is writing a blog for Playboy while rehabbing his bum knee, and in his latest entry he talks about his alma mater (UCLA) and the potentially deadly dangers of being a sports star there.  Yes, deadly.  A man can drown in poon, you know.

[F]emale fans’ attention is part of the life on campus, and it’s all good. You’re young, you’re doing what you love and you get attention from girls and everyone else, ’cause they all know who you are. So it’s nice when girls give you that attention. But sometimes, the girls and fans can get a little pushy. [...]

Groupies are always part of campus life and it’s something you have to watch out for. Girls used to come to our dorm room all the time, knocking on our door, leaving off notes and propositions. [...]

And you get some invasion of privacy, like I said, they’re knocking on your door, all the time. There’s no secret where you’re staying when you’re living on campus. Most freshman [sic] and sometimes sophomores stay on campus, so they’re the ones getting hit on. [...] Until [you move off-campus], there’s notes and cards under the door, gifts, Valentine’s Day-grams, all kinds of stuff. Girls in the stands are wearing your jersey with writing asking you to marry them. Anything you can think of, it happens.

You mean there’s no shortage of hot, horny 18- and 19-year-olds who ache for you and know where to find you?  That sounds awful.  Just… awful.  Whoa, hey, I just popped some capillaries in my eyes.  Who knew you could do that from clenching your teeth?

[Game On via SbB]

Stephon Marbury, banned from the Knicks after his initial benching and subsequent refusal to play for the team, has temporarily relocated to Los Angeles, where last night he watched the Knicks lose to the illness-plagued Lakers (recap here) — as a paying fan with courtside tickets.  From the New York Post:

“I’m not worried about [where I'll play next],” Marbury said. “All I got to do is get free. Once I get free, the team I’m going to go to a lot of people will be shocked. All the people who say nobody wants me on their team, I’m all different things, a cancer, that’s not what’s going on.”

Not to nit-pick, but that IS what’s going on.  Like, exactly what’s going on.  Marbury is the opposite of correct.

Asked why he attended, Marbury said, “I just wanted to see the game. I miss it a lot. It’s the closest I can get to the game right now.”

Awww, poor guy.  He misses the game.  Why, if you gave him the choice of playing for free or sabotaging the team and refusing to play while continuing to collect a paycheck, he’d… uh, go with sabotage.  Definitely sabotage.