Larry Brown Sports

Plenty of Los Angeles Lakers fans are still holding out hope that they may see Phil Jackson patrolling their sideline once again in the near future. According to Jackson, that is not going to happen.

At an event hosted by former Lakers center John Salley on Wednesday to promote the coach’s book, “Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success,” Jackson told an audience that he sometimes feels he could coach again, but knows it is not the right choice for his health.

“Sometimes I feel I can still get out there and do it but the reality is I’m kidding myself,” he said, via the LA Times. “When I was done I knew I was done — physically it was over. Even though after I got a knee replacement and a prostatectomy in the last year and a half.

“It’s those long flights and three o’clock nights — getting up after five hours of sleep and going back to work, those are the things that wear you out.”

Perhaps the rigors of coaching have truly become too much for the Zen Master, but there is no question he still wants to be around basketball. Back in April, a report indicated that Jackson was anxious to return to the NBA in some capacity. He was later hired by the Detroit Pistons to help them select a new head coach. On Wednesday, Jackson hinted at wanting to help the Lakers.

“[The Lakers are] going through crisis and if they ask me to come and sit and just listen to what’s going on, I’m willing to do that,” he said. “As of right now there’s not a position that’s open there, in which to have an influence — so I understand that. They’re a mess, we know that because of their financial disorder right now, that’s the thing they have to get straight right away.”

Jackson added that the Lakers need to put themselves in a position to extend offers to some of the league’s top free agents over the next couple of years.

“For them to be able to move and to adjust to the process that goes on in the NBA, you have to have flexibility,” he said. “The [way] the league is structured with its new CBA and how it penalizes teams – you can’t make moves. [With] guys like Carmelo [Anthony] and LeBron [James] in a couple of years, you’ve got to be capable of making a challenge for those kinds of players.”

The more he talks, the more obvious it becomes that Jackson would like to some day earn a position with the Lakers’ front office. Given his resume and history of success, the team would be nuts not to find one for him.

Phil Jackson has coached two of the greatest basketball players ever, yet he wouldn’t choose either one of them first if he were starting a team.

During an interview with Time, the former Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls coach said he would take Bill Russell first if he were starting a team, not Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant.

“In my estimation, the guy that has to be there would be Bill Russell,” Jackson answered when asked, via SI’s The Point Forward. “He’s won 11 championships as a player. That’s really the idea of what excellence is, when you win championships.”

Time’s Belinda Luscombe followed up that question by asking Jackson whom he would choose between MJ and Kobe. Though excerpts from his new book “Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success” make it seem like he leans towards Jordan, Jackson mostly avoided answering the question.

“I would flip a coin,” Jackson said. “Whichever one came up heads or tails, I’d take that person. They were that good.”

Jackson caused a stir when the book excerpts made it seem like he was picking MJ over Kobe in the historical debate. Bryant seemed to take issue with Jackson’s commentary and tweeted out a response:

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Phil Jackson was probably as stunned as the rest of us when the Los Angeles Lakers decided to go with Mike D’Antoni rather than bringing him back as their heard coach, whether he is willing to admit that or not. You would think a guy who has won five championships with a franchise would be able to return to the bench anytime he wanted, but that was not the case.

However, LA’s decision to hire D’Antoni instead of him did serve as a source of entertainment for the Zen Master.

“I laughed,” Jackson told ESPN’s Mike & Mike in the Morning on Wednesday when asked what he said when the Lakers informed him they had hired D’Antoni. “It was humorous to me when Mitch (Kupchack) said that we think that Mike is a better coach for this group of guys.”

Jackson said he understood that the decision probably had a lot to do with D’Antoni’s history with Steve Nash in Phoenix, but he had his doubts about whether or not Dwight Howard would be properly utilized.

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Looks like Phil Jackson won’t be back to coach the Los Angeles Lakers any time too soon.

In his new memoir “Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success” that will be out next Tuesday, Jackson finally compares Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant as players. Jackson clearly favors MJ over Kobe.

Jackson has won 11 championship rings as a coach — six with the Chicago Bulls and five with the Lakers. He mostly avoided comparing MJ and Kobe — two of the greatest players ever, both of whom were star players on his teams — until now. That’s probably because he was still in the middle of his coaching career when he wrote his first book.

According to excerpts from the book shared by the Los Angeles Times, Jackson calls Jordan a “tougher, more intimidating defender,” and says Kobe sometimes forces the action. He also said Jordan had superior skills to Kobe as a leader.

“No question, Michael was a tougher, more intimidating defender. He could break through virtually any screen and shut down almost any player with his intense, laser-focused style of defense,” Jackson writes, per The Times.

“Kobe has learned a lot from studying Michael’s tricks, and we often used him as our secret weapon on defense when we needed to turn the direction of a game. In general, Kobe tends to rely more heavily on his flexibility and craftiness, but he takes a lot of gambles on defense and sometimes pays the price.”

[RELATED: Which player would Jackson choose to start a team?]

Jackson also commented on Kobe’s 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors and noted the difference in shooting percentage between the two; Kobe is 45.4 percent for his career, whereas Jordan was 49.7.

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Phil Jackson is the best basketball coach available, but he may not have interest in coaching again.

Jackson turned down the Brooklyn Nets, who were interested in having him replace PJ Carlesimo as the team’s head coach. The outcome is no surprise; we didn’t figure he would be interested in coaching the Nets. But what’s interesting is that TNT’s David Aldridge says a source told him Jackson is “done with coaching.” Aldridge’s source says Jackson continues to see an executive job where they would have full control over basketball operations.

Jackson has signed on with teams to serve as a consultant. The Detroit Pistons hired him to help them select their new head coach. He reportedly was also trying to assume a similar role with UCLA when the Bruins were looking for a new basketball coach. There was even talk that the Toronto Raptors were trying to make Jackson their next president.

It seems to me that Jackson’s agent is making sure his client’s name is constantly mentioned in order to keep his leverage high. Sure, any time a coaching opening comes up, teams looking to make a splash will inquire about his interest, but it seems like Phil is also making himself available to talk with teams.

I wouldn’t completely close the door on Jackson coaching again. If the right opportunity came up — one where he could win a championship — I bet he would be interested. I’m just guessing that sort of opportunity is unlikely to emerge, which is why he’s looking for a front office job that suits him.

Phil Jackson has reportedly been itching to return to the NBA in some sort of capacity that is not coaching, and it appears he has already landed his first gig. The Detroit Pistons have hired Jackson to advise president of basketball operations Joe Dumars in selecting a new head coach, according to the team’s official website.

Pistons owner Tom Gore, who is friends with the legendary coach, insists that Jackson will only be with the team in the short term but that they are excited to have him on board.

“Phil Jackson is a friend and one of the best minds in the business,” Gores said. “We are thrilled to have him as an adviser as we make some very important decisions for this franchise. Joe (Dumars) and I discussed this and he and I are in full agreement that this is a great opportunity.”

As someone who has won 11 championships as a head coach in the NBA, Jackson can obviously be a valuable asset in helping select a head coach. Multiple reports have surfaced this month that Jackson is interested in returning to the league in a role similar to the one Pat Riley has with the Miami Heat. Rather than coaching, sources say he wants to oversee basketball operations and possibly help a struggling team.

This is a good start. Detroit has played five-straight seasons of sub-.500 ball and has not made the playoffs since 2009, when they were swept in the opening round. It may be a short-term gig, but Jackson’s task with the Pistons could be a stepping stone toward a larger role with one of the teams people have been speculating about.

Earlier this month, a report surfaced that indicated Phil Jackson is anxious to return to the NBA next season in some sort of capacity that may not be coaching. As you might expect, several teams have already expressed interest in bringing Jackson on board. However, it may surprise you to hear that the Toronto Raptors are believed to be a frontrunner.

According to ESPN.com, the Raptors have intensified their pursuit of Jackson in hopes of making him their next team president. The man now overseeing the Raptors is Tim Leiweke, who was once a big name associated with the Los Angeles sports scene and has a close relationship with the NBA coaching legend.

While many believe Jackson, who is 67 years old, would want to join a contender, that is not necessarily the case. Since Phil may not be interested in a head coaching position, he is looking to start out in a place where he would be able to oversee basketball operations and select a head coach. Now that Leiweke has taken control of the Raptors, head coach Dwane Casey’s future is in doubt. The team has also yet to pick up president Bryan Colangelo’s option for the 2013-2014 season, meaning Jackson could easily slide into his position.

One ESPN source said that Jackson is looking at his future options with an extremely open mind and is willing to listen to pitches from just about any team in the league. It seems like the question comes down to how big of a challenge Jackson is looking for. Given his resume, it’s safe to assume there will be no shortage of teams willing to carve out a role for him. Does he want that role to be with a team like the Lakers alongside fiancee Jeanie Buss, or with a team like the Raptors, who have been to the playoffs five times in their team’s 18-year history? We’ll just have to wait and see.