Hindi si Jackson ang susunod na coach ng New York

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Nagsimula na ang paghahanap para sa bagong head coach ng New York at ang mga pinakaposibleng kandidato ay natanggal na.

Hindi naman kukunin ni Phil Jackson ang kanyang sarili para maging coach ng Knicks.

Dalawang araw matapos sibakin si Mike Woodson, inulit ni Jackson na hindi na siya magbabalik sa bench sa kabila ng pamimilit ng kanyang asawang si Jeanie Buss na gawin niya ito.

Ngunit sinabi ni Jackson, nagretiro sa coaching noong 2011 matapos makamit ang kanyang NBA-record na 11 titles, na hindi na kaya ng katawan na tumayong coach.

“Jeanie Buss was here with the Board of Governors last week and stayed through the weekend, and tried to encourage me to coach the team. And if there’s anyone that can encourage me to do anything, it’s Jeanie Buss. But I was able to withstand her arguments the whole time,’’ sabi ni Jackson.

Sinabi ng bagong team president na naghahanap siya ng coach na may personalidad at karisma para ipanalo ang New York. Umaasa siyang makakausap niya si Steve Kerr, ang TNT analyst na laging nababanggit na leading candidate, sa sunod na buwan.

“New York, I think, demands a personality, a person that the fans can believe in, a person that has some confidence, has the charismatic appeal, and I think has a forward-looking idea about the game,’’ ani Jackson.