The New York Knicks on Tuesday introduced Phil Jackson as their new President of Basketball Operations. Below are the major takeaways and revelations from his introductory press conference.
1. Jackson Is Boss
Jackson will serve as the President of Basketball Operations, and Steve Mills will remain as the general manager. Jackson is essentially the boss in charge of creating the vision and building the team, and Mills's job is to support him.
Mills, who replaced Glen Grunwald as general manager prior to the start of the season, will handle the more mundane general manager tasks; Mills was reportedly hired in the first place for his networking and close relationships with agents.
2. Dolan Is Out
Knicks owner James Dolan acknowledged he isn't an expert in basketball and is "willingly and gratefully" giving Jackson the final say on all basketball decisions.
"When you have the chance to have Phil Jackson run your team you do it, plain and simple," Dolan said, via the New York Daily News.
3. Jackson Is Committed To Keeping Carmelo
Jackson's first orders of business will likely be coach Mike Woodson and star Carmelo Anthony. Although Jackson didn't give any indication of Woodson's future, he did acknowledge he plans on trying to re-sign Anthony in the offseason.
"There's no doubt about Carmelo being one of the top scorers in the league, maybe the best individual isolation player in the game," Jackson said, via ESPN. "I have no problems committing to saying Carmelo is in the future plans."
4. Jackson Wants To Build A True Team
Jackson wants to build a Knicks team similar to the championship-winning teams he played on in 1970 and 1973.
"I believe in system basketball," Jackson said. "We want to build a team."
5. The Knicks Will Be More Open With The Media
Dolan's much-maligned policy of shutting out the media will apparently end. Jackson admitted the policy has hurt the organization, and it's something he wants to change.
"I'll be accessable (sic)," said Jackson. "I'm reaching out to say to you [the media] that we'll have an open relationship."
