Phil Jackson and the Knicks Hire Derek Fisher as Coach for 25 Mil 5 Years!
In his nearly three months as team president, Phil Jackson has made it very apparent — in word and deed — that he wants to rebuild the Knicks by relying on his own network of associates and alliances. He has gone so far as to underscore the importance of his “inner circle,” although it might make more sense to refer to his inner triangle.
During a protracted coaching search that stretched from mid-April to mid-June, Jackson focused on two candidates with whom he had strong relationships. After a much-publicized whiff on his first candidate, Steve Kerr, Jackson on Monday finally connected with his second, hiring Derek Fisher to help steer the Knicks toward championship contention. How long that may take is hardly clear.
Fisher, 39, has never been a coach and was just nine days removed from the end of his playing career when he accepted the Knicks’ offer to become the new man in charge on the sideline, according to a person briefed on the negotiations. The Knicks announced that they would make a “major announcement” at a news conference Tuesday morning at the team’s training center in Greenburgh, N.Y.
Choosing Fisher can easily be perceived as a gamble by Jackson, but he has always been clear about his preference to hire a young coach whom he could mentor. Fisher fits the bill.
Fisher, who has spent the past two decades as a player, most recently with the Oklahoma City Thunder, is a widely respected figure around the N.B.A. As a burly point guard, he appeared in a league-record 259 playoff games, went to eight finals and won five titles — all with the Los Angeles Lakers, and all with Jackson as his head coach.
In Los Angeles, Fisher played peacemaker between the team’s two tempestuous stars, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. Fisher later stepped into a challenging role as the president of the players union, which he led during the 2011 lockout.
With the Thunder, Fisher was praised by his teammates as a sort of coach on the floor, and he formed particularly close ties to Kevin Durant, the league’s most valuable player. (Durant, it should be noted, can become a free agent in 2016.)
Jackson had to wait until Fisher’s playoff run concluded before he could pursue him. Last week, shortly after Oklahoma City was eliminated from the playoffs by San Antonio, Fisher said he was still mulling his options and had not ruled out returning for another season as a player. But he also expressed interest in meeting with Jackson.
“Coaching allows for you to positively impact other people’s lives,” Fisher said at the time. “That’s exciting to me.”
His hiring comes nearly a month after Kerr — like Fisher, a former championship player under Jackson — surprisingly spurned Jackson by signing a lucrative deal to coach the Golden State Warriors, a choice that allowed him to remain near his family in California and also take over a team with a more talented roster than the Knicks have. Kerr had been Jackson’s top choice, a fact that Jackson acknowledged last week when he met with reporters who regularly cover the Knicks.
Jackson, who lacked an obvious backup plan when Kerr said no, told the reporters he was targeting people with whom he had established a “prior relationship,” in part because they would have confidence in each other in navigating through difficult moments. But Jackson also wanted someone familiar with the tenets of his triangle offense, a scheme that became second nature to Fisher when he was playing for the Lakers.
Jackson also told the reporters that over the previous two summers he had spoken with Fisher about the “next step in his career.” But each time Fisher chose to return as a player. In his comments, Jackson also praised Fisher as a leader and said he was a candidate for the Knicks’ job — words that quickly resulted in Jackson being hit with a $25,000 tampering fine by the league because Fisher was still under contract to the Thunder.
Derek will be a great coach. He was a solid team player with the Lakers and knows how to win. Best wishes Derek!
Jackson, however, was not fined for encouraging reporters at least week’s gathering to read what he had written about Fisher in his book “Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success.”
In other words, Jackson holds Fisher in high esteem. Still, coaching the Knicks will be a daunting assignment. They have not won a championship in more than 40 years and, often enough in the last decade and a half, have failed to even make the playoffs. There is also a pressing situation involving Carmelo Anthony, the team’s star, who has said that he intends to opt out of his contract this summer so he can explore free agency.
Over the years, Anthony competed numerous times on the court against Fisher. How he would feel about having him guide the Knicks as a rookie coach remains to be seen.
In choosing Fisher, Jackson is making his first significant move since he came aboard as president of the Knicks in March. Fisher will have to go through a learning curve in New York, where every mistake tends to be amplified by the huge news media presence.
When Jason Kidd became the Nets’ coach a year ago, with a similar lack of experience, he struggled at first to convey assurance about what he was doing, and it led to a considerable amount of unfavorable coverage. Eventually, Kidd seemed to find his way.
Whether Fisher endures the same bumpy start remains to be seen, but at least he will have Jackson as a buffer. In his comments after his last game, Fisher said he always envisioned taking a “sabbatical” after he finished playing and becoming the “best at-home dad you can be for a while.”
“But that’s not the way the world works,” he added. Indeed, it often isn’t. Jackson reached out, Fisher was intrigued, and now they will try together to make the Knicks a formidable presence in the N.B.A.
Evelyn Lozada Shares Adorable First Pics Of Son Carl Leo
Evelyn Lozada has debuted the first pics of her baby boy, Carl Leo. In photoshoot with OK! magazine, the reality star is all smiles (below) as she holds on to her adorable two-month old son.
“I’m in baby heaven,” she says. “Every morning when I wake Leo up, I say, ‘Good morning, handsome! That’s how we start our day.”
Ev also shared that her little man is starting to get a personality. “I’m loving this stage he’s in,” she says. She and her fiancé Carl Crawford welcomed baby Leo into the world in March.
Demi Lovato Rocks The House At The 2014 LA Pride Parade
Always a supporter of gay rights, Demi Lovato was named the Grand Marshall of the 2014 LA Pride Parade
The “Skyscraper” singer belted out her hit songs while being driven through the streets of Hollywood atop a colorful float with the message “Really Don’t Care.”
Lovato told press, “I have been an active advocate of the LGBT community and am wholly committed to supporting individuality and being comfortable in one’s own skin.”
Demi will also participate in a similar shindig in New York City later this month. “I am thrilled to be a part of both events as they are a wonderful celebration of independence and self-confidence,” she added.
Jennifer Hudson Gets Sexy At L.A. Pride Festival
Exceptional songstress and incredible actress Jennifer Hudson is here to shut down 2014! While the release of her Timbaland produced track, “Walk It Out,” has been making its way around urban radio stations, the Walk of Fame star holder is getting us ready for her new era of music.
Recently announced as one of the names on the performance list for the 2014 BET Awards, J. Hud is getting the practice in. Taking to the stage at the L.A. Pride Festival in Hollywood on Saturday, the “Spotlight” singer brought out massive sex appeal as she strutted her stuff in an sequenced and fishnet black dress. Rocking her red lips and pixie cut, Jennifer looked astounding for her set.
Backed by her provocatively dressed male background dancers, she closed out the show performing some of her hit singles such as “I Can’t Describe (The Way I Feel),” “Pocketbook,” and “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going”.
Halle Berry ORDERED To Pay $16K A Month In Child Support AND $115K LUMP SUM To Nahla's Dad
Oh Gabriel! There’s a new legal victory (which we just found out about) will take care of all of Gabe's pain and suffering...via a substantial raise in child support.
PEOPLE reports that a May 30th judgment orders Halle to pay Gabe $16,000 per month to support their daughter Nahla, 6, until she turns 19 years old or graduates from high school, whichever comes first. In addition to the 16K, Gabe was also rewarded $115,000 in retroactive support!
The new order comes after an initial custody agreement in 2012 and that infamous fight.
Hopefully this settlement keeps the peace.....
Rita Ora And Calvin Harris Are Done!
Sad to say folks, but Rita Ora and beau Calvin Harris are done! Harris took to his twitter account to confirm the breakup.
Check out details below!
Rumors have been flying around for weeks about Rita Ora and Calvin Harris being over. They were finally confirmed when Harris took to his Twitter account and informed us in 140 characters or less that the two’s relationship has came to an end!
Wish all the best!
Master P Loses Custody Of All 4 Kids
Master P just lost custody of his 4 kids because he didn’t bother showing up in court.
Sonya Miller was just awarded sole physical and legal custody of 13-year-old Hercy, 9-year-old Mercy, 17-year-old Tytyana and 14-year-old Italy. The divorce battle has become epic, with Sonya claiming she’s been left destitute even though the couple amassed a $200 million fortune. Master P claims he won’t enable his wife with money until she gets off drugs and booze. Master P didn’t respond to Sonya’s legal docs, so Monday morning the judge came down on him with a vengeance. Master P was required to pay Sonya’s $75K legal bill, which includes sanctions for not showing up.
I’m trying to figure out why in the hell didn’t he show up in court?
Rihanna Introduces Her Baby Niece To The World; Says “I Can’t Get Enough, I’m So In Love…”
Awwwww, everyone has a soft side… Even Rihanna! Bad girl Rih-Rih took to Twitter today sharing pics of her newborn niece. Rihanna looked quite at home as she cradled her in a number of touching posts on her Twitter page. She tweeted:
‘I can’t get enough, I’m so in love!’
‘My auntie rule$’, explaining the family connection, before adding: ‘My everything’.
The pair both looked to be asleep in one shot, after the star stepped out in a vibrant purple dress and numerous gold bangles. While in another she appeared to be standing in a hospital while wearing a T-Shirt which read: ‘Weird s*** is happening’, as the the little girl remained wrapped in a blanket. Don’t babies just melt your heart?!
Awwww So sweet!
Gabby Union Keeps It WHITE HOT To Celebrate Her "VEGAS" Magazine Cover
After another long day of press rounds in L.A. for her upcoming flick Think Like A Man Too, Gabby Union quickly jetted to Las Vegas afterwards to celebrate the release of her new VEGAS magazine cover.
Well, hello Ms. Union! Gabby threw on her white mini dress gold strappy heels for the premiere of her new cover of VEGAS magazine. The 41-year-old hit the mag's 11th anniversary party at Drai's Beach Club & Nightclub in Las Vegas Saturday night. And made sure to show off her brand new sexy cover.
She's a busy girl these days. She's in the midst of filming the new season of "Being Mary Jane", in the middle of a promo tour for her upcoming ensemble flick Think Like A Man Too (out June 20th), she's on the the July 2014 ESSENCE cover, and she's cheering on her fiancé Dwyane Wade who is balling out in the NBA Finals. Hopefully she gets to see her boo take on the Spurs again tonight in Game 2. And hopefully...the air conditioner is working in the AT&T Center this time.
Looking gorge Gabby!
‘Notorious B.I.G.’ Actor Jamal Woolard Arrested for Domestic Violence/Stepson Called Police!
More money more problems seems to be the case for Jamal Woolard the actor who brought Notorious B.I.G. to life on the big screen got busted for allegedly abusing his wife over the weekend.
Check out the details below.
Actor Jamal Woolard was arrested Saturday night in Gwinnett County, GA after police responded to a call about a domestic dispute. The alleged incident took place in front of his step son.
According to law enforcement sources … a child made the call to cops … and said, “Dad hit Mom.”
38-year-old Woolard — who played Biggie Smalls in the 2009 biopic “Notorious” — was booked for battery, cruelty to children, and simple assault.
South Carolina Governor Calls For End Of Black Biker Week, Mayor Says No
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) is calling for the end of the annual Black Biker Week following a deadly 2014 Memorial Day Weekend that left three people dead and seven more wounded.
However, she is facing some opposition from the Atlantic Beach mayor who, despite acknowledging the current security issues, knows its history is more deep-rooted than an isolated incident.
Reports Fox News:
After a bloody Memorial Day weekend left three dead and seven wounded along the Grand Strand, Gov. Nikki Haley wants to end the annual Atlantic Beach Bikefest which has drawn black bikers for decades to this community near Myrtle Beach.
But Mayor Jake Evans says he has no plans to end the event in a community that, during the days of segregation, was one of the only places on the South Carolina coast where blacks were welcome. But he’s willing to discuss increasing law enforcement with neighboring communities.
Brad Dean of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce says Atlantic Beach has the right to put on whatever festival it wants. But he says neighboring communities can’t stand idly by when an event has such a negative impact.
Given their particular stances on the matter, it is worth noting that Haley is a Indian disguising as a White Republican where as Evans is a Black Democrat.
Djimon Hounsou, Tia Mowry Hardrict & Holly Robinson Peete Hit Up The 'How To Train Your Dragon 2' Premiere With Their Families
Oscar nominated actor Djimon Hounsou was on super-dad duty this weekend. He picked up his son Kenzo (who he shares with ex Kimora Lee Simmons) along with his sisters Ming and Aoki (Russell Simmons’ daughters) for the premiere of the Dreamworks animation film How To Train Your Dragon 2 at the Regency Village Theatre in L.A.
The beautiful blended family cleaned up nice as they posed it up on the red carpet for the animated movie premiere. Little Kenzo followed in his dad’s footsteps looking dapper in his light cream-colored suit and yellow bow tie. The girls kept it cute in a navy blue and white dress as they flashed their pretty smiles.
Djimon voices the dragon-hunting villain named Drago Bludvist in the action fantasy film. Wonder how little Kenzo reacted when he heard his father’s voice in the movie.
“Instant Mom” actress Tia Mowry Hardrict and her husband Cory Hardrict assisted their adorable son Cree on the red carpet for the family affair. Tia kept it cute and comfortable in a black Elena Reva romper proving you can still keep it fab while on mommy-duty.
Cute.
And Holly Robinson Peete was also in attendance looking fab with two out of the four beautiful children she has. Peep how her daughter has grown taller than her and we are loving her son’s hair.
The Struggle Rapper Claims She Caused Jay Z and Solange Elevator
Remember that struggle rapper who claimed Jay Z sought out her number and tried to holla? Of course you don’t, but now she is claiming that she is the cause of the now infamous Hova versus Solange incident in the elevator.
Said rapper’s name is LIV (pronounced “live”) and has been on the Internets trolling anyone that will pay attention with claims she was the root cause of Solange going ham on Hov.
Life & Style fell for the swindle and spoke to Liv about meeting Hova, so she of course posted a pic of the tiny story on Instagram.
Wrote Liv in the pic’s caption, “This mag got the story 100% correct Jay and I met on the set of a commercial…. He fell heads over heels for me but I chose not to pursue him out of respect for Bey…. Not too many women show each other that kind of honor…. So no, I did not sleep WITH JAY Z…. But YEs, I could have #RespectMyHustle#REALwomanSH*T #lifeandstylemagazine”
Oh word?
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘BEARDBOSSES’
Beard Boss is right! Holy smokes!
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!
EFREM
No comments:
Post a Comment