Sources: Phil Jackson talks to Derek Fisher about Knicks' coaching job
Sources: Phil Jackson talks to Derek Fisher about Knicks' coaching job, New York Knicks president Phil Jackson and his top coaching candidate, Derek Fisher, talked briefly on the telephone Wednesday and plan to reconvene next week, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Jackson expressed his desire to engage Fisher in talks to become the Knicks coach, sources said. Fisher is expected to take the weekend to talk with his family and make a final decision about retiring from his 17-year NBA career in order to fully pursue coaching, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Fisher has been leaning strongly toward ending his playing career, and should that be his final decision, he's expected to move forward with more substantive talks with Jackson next week, sources said.
The NBA fined Jackson $25,000 for public comments about Fisher, a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, during the Western Conference finals. NBA team officials aren't allowed to comment about their interest in hiring players or employees under contract elsewhere.
The Knicks' support system, centered on Jackson, is an attractive part of the job to Fisher. For all the allure of New York and Madison Square Garden, Fisher played parts of his 13 seasons with the Lakers, winning five championships under Jackson.
Jackson lost out on his original target, Steve Kerr, who accepted the job as the coach of the Golden State Warriors.
