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[font=verdana,geneva,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]It's déjà vu in La-La Land
Now that Jackson isn't coming here, Adelman vents about the process
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Phil Jackson has returned to coach the Los Angeles Lakers despite receiving a flirtatious call from the Maloof family just days after the Kings suffered a first-round NBA playoff loss to the Seattle SuperSonics.
Meanwhile, Rick Adelman and his staff had been "hanging on a rope wondering what was going to happen," the coach said.
Adelman, like the rest of the basketball world, learned Tuesday that Jackson would return to the Lakers with a three-year contract reportedly worth $30 million after one year away from the squad.
Adelman said he wasn't surprised.
"I never thought (the Maloofs) were going to hire Phil Jackson, and I never thought he was going to come here," said Adelman, who had his contract extended by the Maloof ownership group earlier this season. "And I don't think Phil Jackson coming here is going to make a difference in this team winning a championship.
"But if that's what they wanted to do, they certainly could have done it. I just wanted them to make a decision. If they want me to coach, fine. I'll coach the team to the best of my ability like I have every year.
"If they don't, then make a decision."
Adelman said he hasn't spoken to anyone in the Maloof family since news broke that Jackson's agent, Todd Musberger, had been contacted.
Gavin Maloof said Adelman will be the Kings' coach next season.
"I'll tell you right now," Maloof said from Phoenix, where he said he plans to attend point guard Mike Bibby's basketball camp, "he's our coach for next year. That's the way it is."
Gavin Maloof said the team didn't plan to pursue Jackson during the season but decided to explore the opportunity after the playoffs. Maloof was asked why his family didn't stop the widespread speculation that a phone call had been made to Musberger and said he didn't know.
"Actually, Joe (Maloof) made the first contact," Gavin Maloof said of his brother, who left Tuesday for Europe. "I think there was some interest on their side. Then Joe spoke to (Kings president of basketball operations, Geoff) Petrie. And Petrie spoke to (Jackson's) agent, and things sputtered after that. I think we were awaiting a call from his agent, and it never came."
Said Musberger of Jackson's reuniting with the Lakers: "I can see how thrilled he is to be back. It was the right decision. In the end, it came down to returning to the Lakers or taking another year off. And here we are."
Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal told ESPN he was happy Jackson had returned to the Lakers, however he felt the coach's triangle offense would have been a good fit for the Kings.
Petrie repeatedly has said over the past few weeks that he didn't want to fuel any fire by speculating about Adelman's job status.
"Just like everybody else that works for us," Petrie said, "until their status changes, it remains the same. And Rick is our coach until he's not our coach anymore."
Adelman was frustrated to hear through the media that the Maloofs contacted Jackson's agent.
"It's their team, and they can do what they want to do and conduct business the way they want," Adelman said. "But I think one, two, three days after a season ends like that, to me, that's a little bit of knee-jerk reaction. I definitely didn't understand it. But when you've coached here seven years, you expect them to at least tell you what's going on and not lead to all this speculation.
"That's probably the hardest thing (to deal with). Now you're sitting there, and everybody is wondering what's your situation, including myself. So that's disappointing. I don't think it needed to be that way."
Adelman's Kings teams have compiled a 351-191 (.648) regular-season record and a 32-31 (.508) playoff mark.
"Our success is there," he said. "If (the Maloofs) want to make a change, so be it. If I want to go out and find another job, I'll find another job. It's not going to be the end of the world. "But things are just thrown out there, and then suddenly disappear for weeks, then what's going on? At that point, something should be said. And the right thing to do would be make a statement and end the speculation. I can't do it, because I can't say I'm going to be the coach of this team. That's up to them." Maloof said Adelman and Petrie will meet with the family in Las Vegas next week to discuss the draft and the team's offseason plans.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/13068037p-13913522c.html[/font]
Now that Jackson isn't coming here, Adelman vents about the process
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Phil Jackson has returned to coach the Los Angeles Lakers despite receiving a flirtatious call from the Maloof family just days after the Kings suffered a first-round NBA playoff loss to the Seattle SuperSonics.
Meanwhile, Rick Adelman and his staff had been "hanging on a rope wondering what was going to happen," the coach said.
Adelman, like the rest of the basketball world, learned Tuesday that Jackson would return to the Lakers with a three-year contract reportedly worth $30 million after one year away from the squad.
Adelman said he wasn't surprised.
"I never thought (the Maloofs) were going to hire Phil Jackson, and I never thought he was going to come here," said Adelman, who had his contract extended by the Maloof ownership group earlier this season. "And I don't think Phil Jackson coming here is going to make a difference in this team winning a championship.
"But if that's what they wanted to do, they certainly could have done it. I just wanted them to make a decision. If they want me to coach, fine. I'll coach the team to the best of my ability like I have every year.
"If they don't, then make a decision."
Adelman said he hasn't spoken to anyone in the Maloof family since news broke that Jackson's agent, Todd Musberger, had been contacted.
Gavin Maloof said Adelman will be the Kings' coach next season.
"I'll tell you right now," Maloof said from Phoenix, where he said he plans to attend point guard Mike Bibby's basketball camp, "he's our coach for next year. That's the way it is."
Gavin Maloof said the team didn't plan to pursue Jackson during the season but decided to explore the opportunity after the playoffs. Maloof was asked why his family didn't stop the widespread speculation that a phone call had been made to Musberger and said he didn't know.
"Actually, Joe (Maloof) made the first contact," Gavin Maloof said of his brother, who left Tuesday for Europe. "I think there was some interest on their side. Then Joe spoke to (Kings president of basketball operations, Geoff) Petrie. And Petrie spoke to (Jackson's) agent, and things sputtered after that. I think we were awaiting a call from his agent, and it never came."
Said Musberger of Jackson's reuniting with the Lakers: "I can see how thrilled he is to be back. It was the right decision. In the end, it came down to returning to the Lakers or taking another year off. And here we are."
Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal told ESPN he was happy Jackson had returned to the Lakers, however he felt the coach's triangle offense would have been a good fit for the Kings.
Petrie repeatedly has said over the past few weeks that he didn't want to fuel any fire by speculating about Adelman's job status.
"Just like everybody else that works for us," Petrie said, "until their status changes, it remains the same. And Rick is our coach until he's not our coach anymore."
Adelman was frustrated to hear through the media that the Maloofs contacted Jackson's agent.
"It's their team, and they can do what they want to do and conduct business the way they want," Adelman said. "But I think one, two, three days after a season ends like that, to me, that's a little bit of knee-jerk reaction. I definitely didn't understand it. But when you've coached here seven years, you expect them to at least tell you what's going on and not lead to all this speculation.
"That's probably the hardest thing (to deal with). Now you're sitting there, and everybody is wondering what's your situation, including myself. So that's disappointing. I don't think it needed to be that way."
Adelman's Kings teams have compiled a 351-191 (.648) regular-season record and a 32-31 (.508) playoff mark.
"Our success is there," he said. "If (the Maloofs) want to make a change, so be it. If I want to go out and find another job, I'll find another job. It's not going to be the end of the world. "But things are just thrown out there, and then suddenly disappear for weeks, then what's going on? At that point, something should be said. And the right thing to do would be make a statement and end the speculation. I can't do it, because I can't say I'm going to be the coach of this team. That's up to them." Maloof said Adelman and Petrie will meet with the family in Las Vegas next week to discuss the draft and the team's offseason plans.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/13068037p-13913522c.html[/font]
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