Phil Jackson Confirms He'll Return

Shortly after the Lakers' championship run, Phil Jackson admitted that he'd like to return to the sidelines for the final year of his contract but couldn't commit until doctors put him through a series of medical tests. He did so this week, and he was given the thumbs up.

"After consulting with Lakers team internist Dr. John Moe, I feel confident that I can gainfully pursue an NBA season with another long playoff postseason. All things point to go!" Jackson said in a statement posted on the Lakers official site.

Despite the notion that the Lakers essentially coach themselves -- Alonzo Mourning said last month that Jackson "doesn't have to do anything but call timeouts" -- Jackson's presence will be as important as ever following the expected acquisition of Ron Artest.

Few coaches in all of professional sports have managed as many egos and head-cases as successfully as Jackson has, and even though Artest is saying all the right things now, leaving him in the charge of a rookie head coach like Kurt Rambis, rumored to be the heir to Jackson's throne, would have been an extremely risky scenario.

What's still left to be decided is whether Jackson coaches a full slate of 82 regular-season games or allows Rambis to ease into head coaching duties by taking the baton during a handful of road trips. Either way, with a new and improved roster and consistency on the sidelines, the Lakers figure to open the season as favorites to repeat.