Phil Jackson Wants to Return but May Skip Road Trips

Phil Jackson confirmed during a radio interview on Tuesday that he hopes to return to the sidelines for the final year of his contract in 2009-10, although a final determination won't be made until early next month when he undergoes a series of medical exams. Jackson's physical condition has been an ongoing storyline during his time with the Lakers; he's had both of his hips replaced since 2006, and he missed a road game last April due to swelling in
his legs.

But even if he's medically cleared for another season (perched atop his elevated chair) on the sidelines in 2009-10, there's a chance he might miss a few more games, telling ESPN Radio 710 that he's considered passing the clipboard to assistant coach Kurt Rambis while staying behind as the team embarks on several grueling road trips.

From ESPN:

"Yeah, we've toyed around with that idea actually," Jackson told ESPN Radio hosts John Ireland and Mychal Thompson. "I guess it's not that revolutionary. We talked a little bit about it, and you know I was actually kind of given the green light to actually try this out and when the time came."

General manager Mitch Kupchak refused to comment, but Rambis admitted the idea has been discussed while telling the Los Angeles Times he's receptive.

"Everybody benefits," Rambis said. "Phil remains fresh without having the season and the travel wear him down. It gives me valuable coaching experience. What the future holds beyond Phil, I don't know. But this keeps continuity of what we're doing, what we do defensively and offensively."

Jackson stated that such an arrangement would come with a certain degree of risk -- both in terms of staying in touch with his team and fending off external criticism -- but it's worth exploring, especially if it's the difference between him deciding to coach one more year or not.

Plus, it'd allow him to groom a hand-picked successor while hopefully easing the transition for once he steps aside for good. It'd take a great deal of trust and cooperation for such an arrangement to work, but there's never going to be any confusion about pecking order so long as a living legend like Jackson is in the picture.

If this plans comes to fruition, though, Jackson might skip more than just a handful of long road trips; it's often the shorter trips involving back-to-back games that are the most difficult, since those entail hopping on a plane soon after the first game ends, crossing time zones and arriving at a hotel at dawn. In fact, the game Jackson missed in April was a one-game jaunt to Portland, saying at the time that "late-night flights" made it difficult to travel with swollen legs.