Michael Jordan told Stephen A. Smith this week that he believes Phil Jackson will likely help the New York Knicks succeed in his front office role. Even though the Zen Master doesn’t have any experience in a front office role, he has plenty of experience in talent evaluation, managing of egos, and getting the most out of players.
“Phil can do some good things with them because he’s gifted,” Jordan told ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith on Monday. “Phil is fantastic at managing egos and personalities, getting everyone on the same page and maxing out whatever potential is there for what should be the common and ultimate goal.
“Just because he’s never been an executive before doesn’t mean he can’t do that. He’s wanted to do it for a while now, and I know he can do it … so long as he has the necessary pieces in place.”
Now if there is one guy that knows about the struggles of transitioning from the court to the front office, its Michael Jordan. His run with the Wizards and Bobcats has been legendarily bad up until this season finally in contention to make the playoffs.
The Knicks are set to hold an official press conference on Tuesday to announce Phil’s hiring and position.
Jordan among others in the league respect the coaching run Phil Jackson had over the past couple decades, but that doesn’t mean they are going to do him any favors during the off-season or before trade deadlines…
“Phil is great,” Jordan said. “He’s very smart. He’ll figure out pretty quickly what needs to get done, and he’ll have plenty of guys in the league willing to help him, myself included.
“The only problem is none of us will be willing to give up great players or draft picks to do that. That’s the part of the job all of us have found pretty difficult, me included. But I wish him luck. I believe in him, and I’m confident anything he does will work eventually.”
H/t to ESPN for the Quotes
