Former Los Angeles Lakers head coach and President of the New York Knicks Phil Jackson is trying to keep things together, even as his franchise is in a tailspin. With the Knicks having one of their worst seasons ever, Jackson will have a tough road fixing that franchise.
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His former franchise isn’t doing much better, and with the two teams set to meet, Jackson’s competitiveness is flowing, according to Los Angeles Daily News’ Mark Medina:
Phil Jackons' competitive juices flowing on Knicks vs. Lakers: "This is a game to win. I want to let these guys know this is a game to win"
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) March 12, 2015
Jackson coached the Lakers for 13 years and won five championships with the franchise before his final season with the team in the 2010-11 season. He was then introduced as the President for the Knicks in 2014.
The Knicks currently have the worst record in the NBA and first year head coach, another familiar face, former Lakers guard Derek Fisher, is struggling to keep things afloat without star Carmelo Anthony. Anthony torched the Lakers for 31 points in the first meeting between these teams, a 12-point Knick win in February.
Both teams will be looking for a win on Thursday night, even though fans of both franchises may be rooting for the opposite. The Knicks have the inside track on the top pick in the NBA Draft, while the Lakers only keep their pick if it lands in the top-5, which seems likely at this point. Some would say a loss is better than a win at this point for both teams.
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