While Derek Fisher was never really fit to be a head coach in the NBA, it was still surprising to see Knicks president Phil Jackson pull the plug on one of his disciples so quickly. Apparently, a difference of opinion in coaching approach helped lead to Fisher’s dismissal.
In the latest installment of The Phil Jackson Chronicles with Charley Rosen of Today’s Fastbreak, Jackson cited Fisher’s pandering to millennial culture as one of the reasons why he was let go.
“One difference I had with Derek is that I’m much more interested than he was in training groups. The Knights of the Round Table kind of thing,” Jackson said. “He was training individuals, which was really in tune with the so-called millennials, young people and young players who are primarily interested in themselves.
“In the NBA, these young guys are concerned with what playing for whatever team they’re on can do for them,” Jackson continued. “Can playing in New York or Boston or LA or wherever add 10K followers to my Twitter account? Will the local media get me lucrative endorsements? What do I have to concentrate on to get a better contract?”
Fisher was fired in the middle of his second season as head coach of the Knicks last February, finishing his tenure with an overall record of 40-96 (.294). Jackson, for his part, has gained somewhat of a notoriety as an old-school basketball mind with little sympathy for the millennial generation.
Perhaps new Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek can do a better job next season of whipping those darn young hoodlums into shape.
H/T theScore
