Jackson Wouldn’t Mind Another Run With Jordan

While Michael Jordan plays out the season and his third playing career in Washington, Phil Jackson gears up in Los Angeles for what most believe will be at least a decent shot at a fourth NBA championship with the Lakers, a 10th title overall.

Now, by his accounts, Jordan, at 40, returns to management aspirations, probably in Washington, maybe in Charlotte, fancifully in Chicago. Jackson, at 57, plans to return for at least another season as a Laker coach, and there probably will be talk this summer about an extension.

Jackson said Sunday he would like to work again with Jordan. The two won six titles together with the Chicago Bulls.

“I’d certainly like to have him be a part of any organization I was a part of,” Jackson said. “[But] I don’t see that happening.”

Perhaps, Jackson added, “I would consult for Michael.”

But not coach for him....

“No, I don’t think so,” he said. “I would work with him as a consultant. I don’t see myself coaching anywhere after this. This will be the final thing I do.”

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Jackson, on Jordan’s retiring without one more playoff run: “It’s an effort he’s put in that’s going unrewarded in some ways. It was a great effort, a great service he’s done for Washington basketball, professional NBA basketball. There were a lot of things that were terrific in that.”

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Kobe Bryant, second in the league in scoring, 14th in assists, sixth in steals, fifth in minutes, has an MVP case that stands with Tim Duncan’s, Kevin Garnett’s and Tracy McGrady’s.

Ballots are due at the end of the week, Bryant having followed his 40.6 points a game in February with 26.7 a game since, having slid his offensive game beneath Shaquille O’Neal’s for the last six weeks.

Bryant scored nine points below his average 10 days ago in Memphis, but made the game-winner with no time on the clock, and an MVP believer out of Jerry West.

“You just cannot play Kobe Bryant,” West, the former Laker executive, recently told Sporting News Radio. “He is as good as it gets in the NBA. I hear people talking about most valuable player, I think this is one time that you could look at him and say he truly deserves that honor, this year.”

Bryant, who mused on the candidacies of a few players earlier in the season, said Sunday morning he had no opinion.

“I don’t have one,” he said. “I don’t care. I have too many other things to think about.”

O’Neal said his vote would go to “the Kobe-ster,” if he had one.

“He’s the only one making history, stats-wise,” O’Neal said. “I mean, when you get [42] against your idol at the half.”

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The Lakers, run out of practice by Jackson on Saturday, should not expect many more half-days.

“You can only do that a couple times,” Jackson said. “Other than that, they’ll do it just to get out of practice early. They’re like children, like grade-school kids.”