There was a point in time earlier this season where all signs pointed to the Los Aneles Lakers hiring Phil Jackson as their new head coach, but in a sudden turn of events it was Mike D’Antoni who got the final call.
Shaw was stunned that the Lakers chose D’Antoni over Jackson for the coaching job despite all that Jackson had done for the franchise. In his time with the Lakers, Jackson won five NBA championships and all that was under one offensive system, the Triangle offense.
Shaw spoke with the Los Angeles Times and he talked about his reaction to the news that Jackson didn’t get the job. Even though Shaw is currently an assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers, he cannot ignore what is going on with his former team.
“Under the circumstances, Phil Jackson, who’s been there and done that and put a lot of money in everybody’s pockets around here, the way it was done . . . it’s mind-boggling,” Shaw said Monday in an interview with The Times. “I was joking with him, at least you got a phone call, even though it was midnight.
Shaw was both a player for Phil Jackson and he also served as an assistant coach for him in Los Angeles. Shaw won three rings with the Lakers as a player and added two more to his count as an assistant coach under Phil Jackson.
Shaw and Pacers will be playing the Lakers in Staples Center tonight.
