Phil Jackson is one of the greatest coaches in NBA history, not just because he won multiple championships but because he helped develop some of the best players the game has ever seen including Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
While currently retired from the coaching scene, it is reported by Yahoo Sports that the 67-year-old Jackson had cancer during the 2011 postseason.
Diagnosed with prostate cancer two months before the Lakers began their playoff series with the Dallas Mavericks, Jackson did not disclose his health issues with the team until they had already started their playoff schedule.
"As much as I love Phil and I appreciate everything about him, it was difficult to know," Lakers forward Pau Gasol told The Register.
Smack in the middle of the series with the eventual champion Dallas Mavericks, Gasol noted that Jackson's announcement to the team was one of the hardest things they've ever had to deal with.
"It was a shock. A difficult moment for the team."
The Register also reports that Jackson talked with team co-captains Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher in private before notifying the entire team of his situation. Eventually letting his players know of his condition during a film session, Jackson began to second-guess his admission since he did not want it to affect the team's performance.
Following the sweep at the hands of the Mavericks, Jackson retired from coaching.
Recent reports however indicate that the 11-time NBA champion coach may be interested in returning to the NBA in a basketball operations role.
According to ESPN, the Toronto Raptors have strong interest in sitting down with Jackson and possibly offering him a job where he would be able to oversee basketball operations and the coaching staff of the organization, something Jackson has thought about on multiple occasions over the years.
While it is possible Jackson returns to the NBA with the Raptors or another organization, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles reports that it is unlikely Phil Jackson will return to the Lakers organization.
Rather than bring Jackson in as coach, the Lakers want to give current head coach Mike D'Antoni a chance to coach a full season in L.A. since he entered the 2013 season a handful of games in.
A strong basketball background, Jackson began his NBA career as a player in 1967 when he was drafted by the New York Knicks. Playing until 1980 with the Knicks and New Jersey Nets, Jackson took over the head coaching duties of the Chicago Bulls in 1989.
In 10 seasons with the Bulls, Jackson led the team to 6 NBA Championships. He'd take the same role with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1999 where he'd collect 5 more titles.
If in fact Jackson does decide to come back to the NBA in any role, the team who brings him in will certainly be acquiring one of the best minds to ever be associated with the game.
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