Report Says Jackson, Knicks Met

The president of Madison Square Garden met secretly with Phil Jackson nearly a month ago to inquire whether the former coach of the six-time champion Chicago Bulls would be interested in taking over the Knicks, The New York Times reported in this morning’s editions.

Citing two sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, the Times said Knick President Dave Checketts made no offer to Jackson at the 90-minute meeting but gauged his interest in coaching the team.

At the time the meeting took place, Ernie Grunfeld was the team president and general manager. He was relieved of his duties by Checketts shortly thereafter.

In the weeks since, the Knicks have turned around their season by qualifying for the playoffs, defeating the Miami Heat in the first round and taking a 2-0 lead over the Atlanta Hawks in the second round heading into today’s Game 3.

The team’s resurgence has fueled talk that Coach Jeff Van Gundy’s job is safe for another season, although Checketts has said he will wait until the season ends before making any personnel decisions. Van Gundy has one year remaining on a three-year, $6 million contract.

Speculation over the possible hiring of Jackson was commonplace while the Knicks were struggling, and center Patrick Ewing said he would demand a trade rather than play for Jackson.

“It shocks me,” Ewing said of the meeting between Checketts and Jackson, which the Times said was also attended by Jackson’s agent, Todd Musburger. “I’ve said it. I’m not playing for Phil Jackson. There’s no way. They can trade me if they get Phil.”

Checketts, through a spokesman, denied that any meeting with Jackson or his representatives took place--as did Musburger. Jackson could not be reached, and Van Gundy declined comment.

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Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz has won the most-valuable-player award, the Salt Lake City Tribune reported Saturday.

The Tribune, which did not attribute the source of its story, said Malone outpolled Miami center Alonzo Mourning in the voting by 118 media members who cover the league.

The award will be formally announced in late May or early June.

The MVP award would be the second in three years for Malone, who averaged 23.8 points and 9.4 rebounds while helping the Jazz to a 37-13 record in the regular season. Utah trails Portland, 2-1, in the second round of the playoffs.

Malone won the award in 1997 before finishing second to Chicago’s Michael Jordan last season.

“I haven’t heard anything,” Malone told the Tribune Friday. “But if it happens, it would be a great honor. It’s not my biggest worry right now. We’re still trying to get to the next round [of the playoffs]. But if it happens, I would say it’s for the fans of Utah, who supported me during kind of a tough year, and for my teammates.”