Phil Jackson's Health Has Improved

The topic of Phil Jackson's health has lingered in the background for years -- he had both hips replaced in 2006, and he still sits perched above the bench in a custom-made throne to help alleviate pain in his hips, knees and back. As far back as 2007 he's dropped hints that he might be close to calling it a career, and as recent as this summer he hinted that he might skip occasional road trips this season.

But this year? Thanks to a new orthopedic "unloader" brace, he has no complaints. "I feel really good," he said Thursday, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. "I have a device that really takes away a lot of the discomfort that I've had. That's a real big relief for me as far as just having to deal with some issues when I stand or walk. I'm much better that way."

Jackson has also been helped by a comfy early schedule -- the Lakers have gone on the road for only two of their first eight games, not to mention four of their first 21. The downside, of course, is that things will even out the rest of the way, including a mammoth eight-game road trip from Jan. 21 to Feb. 1.

Jackson missed a one-game road trip last April due to swelling in his legs, but he doesn't expect that will be an issue this year. "As far as the edema that I was kind of suffering from flying, obviously, we haven't been out on the road very much, but that's well-controlled," he said.

Will the new brace add a couple of years onto his coaching career? Lakers fans (and, ahem, Byron Scott) will have to wait and see, but it certainly can't hurt. One thing is for sure: with his name already atop the record books after winning NBA title No. 10 last June, the pressure to win another title in order to go out on top no longer applies -- nothing he does from this point on will diminish the fact that he's the greatest playoff coach of all-time.

In fact, the only significant coaching record he doesn't own is Lenny Wilkins' all-time record of 1,334 regular season wins. Jackson, tied with Larry Brown for sixth all-time with 1,048, is probably a good five years away from reaching Wilkins, though by the time he approaches that milestone Don Nelson (1,311) may have already extended it.