Phil Jackson says this is his last year coaching — again - Los Angeles Times
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Phil Jackson says this is his last year coaching — again

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Phil Jackson has said this is his “last stand†with the Lakers after coaching the team for 11 seasons.

He has won five of his NBA-record 11 championships with the Lakers and has reached the Finals 13 times.

Still, Jackson was asked again if he could see himself taking some time off and coming back to coach.

“No,†Jackson responded quickly.

Why not? he was asked.

“I think I’ve put in my service time,†Jackson, 65, said. “I think I’ve done my due diligence that I set out to do, especially with this organization.â€

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Jackson was hired by the Lakers in 1999, and he led the franchise to three consecutive championships before he departed after the 2004 season.

He was asked back after the 2005 season, a season in which the Lakers fell into the draft lottery.

Since then, Jackson has helped the Lakers win back-to-back championships and reach the Finals the last three years.

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Jackson said he has “coached about as long as I want to coach.â€

Three-man rotation

Now that Andrew Bynum is back and starting at center, Jackson has to figure out how to dole out minutes for him and the Lakers’ other big men, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom.

Entering Friday night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Gasol was averaging a team-high 38.2 minutes, Odom was second at 35.7 and Bynum was at 19.1 in eight games.

When Bynum started his first game Wednesday night against the New Orleans Hornets, he played 30 minutes 9 seconds, Gasol played 34:44 and Odom played 30:33.

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“Well, it’s 96 minutes between three guys, that’s basically what it is,†Jackson said. “Somehow or another, it’s going to come out in that area.

“Usually Pau plays a little bit more than Lamar. So, we’ll just see how that comes out. Depending on the matchups, that’s what you have to do as a coach.â€

Odom doing own reality show?

Is Odom expanding his brand into reality TV?

Well, he wasn’t quite forthcoming on the subject.

A report said that Odom and his wife, Khloe Kardashian, who is on the reality show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,†will appear in a spinoff of that show.

It’s rumored to be a Newlyweds-type of show.

“A decision hasn’t been made,†Odom said. “I don’t know if I’ll do one or not. … Not as of right now.â€

Odom was asked to explain why he was hesitant to speak about it.

“It’s something you have to think about and be dedicated to,†Odom said. “Everything we do is time-consuming. Any job you have, it’s a job. I’d want it to be good if I did it.â€

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