During an interview that aired on ESPN Thursday, Dwyane Wade joked that Lakers coach Phil Jackson wants to coach the Miami Heat. Wade was responding to a question from reporter Rachel Nichols about why Phil Jackson talks so much about the Heat when he jokingly replied. My answer to Nichols would have been because he’s asked about them frequently, as is anyone associated with the NBA. Wade’s response was much more attention-grabbing.
Wade joked “I think he wants to coach the Heat when he gets done with the Lakers.” Wade had a smile on his face and was laughing when he said it, but he said “he can’t coach us,” pointing out that the team already has a coach.
While there’s no implication that this would ever happen or that Phil has interest in the situation, I do believe there is truth in everything that is said. Given Phil’s reputation for solely coaching teams stacked with talent (e.g. Michael Jordan’s Bulls, Kobe and Shaq’s Lakers, Kobe and Pau’s Lakers), he’s one of the first names that would arise as a coach who could take on the project of coaching Miami’s team. Adding to Wade’s speculation is the understanding that Jackson will be retiring after the year, which has been a question for several years.
The Heat are doing fine with Erik Spoelstra, and it’s highly unlikely Pat Riley would ever hire one of his biggest rivals. If anything, this just goes to show that everyone knows Phil Jackson’s MO; he only coaches talented teams.
