Phil Jackson and Jeanie Buss have ended their engagement, according to a note Jackson posted to his Twitter account Tuesday.
Jackson said in the note that he and Buss are no longer engaged. He shared the difficulties the two have had in sustaining their relationship with them on different coasts:
— Phil Jackson (@PhilJackson11) December 28, 2016
Buss tweeted in response.
Nothing but love and respect for this man. @PhilJackson11 https://t.co/jlgNhnZvOA
— Jeanie Buss (@JeanieBuss) December 28, 2016
Jackson and Buss began dating just after Phil took the Lakers head coaching job in 1999. They finally got engaged nearly four years ago, with Phil giving Jeanie this enormous ring.
Jackson long called Buss his “companion,” as the twice-divorced coach was adamant not to make their relationship more than that until he proposed after over a decade of dating. Unfortunately they have broken off their engagement.
The relationship between the two hit an obstacle when Jackson took a job in the Knicks’ front office in 2014, making it a lot more difficult for the two to see each other with Buss serving as an executive for the Lakers in Los Angeles. Though Jackson initially spent time on the West Coast despite leading the Knicks, and there were rumors he wanted to return to the Lakers, he has now fully committed himself to his work in New York and intends to fulfill his five-year contract with the team. That commitment clearly took its toll on his personal relationship with Buss.
