WHITEFISH, Mont. — Phil Jackson says seeing Nuggets coach George Karl sidelined last season with throat cancer will influence his upcoming decision on whether to return as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Jackson was the headline speaker Sunday at a meeting of Western governors in Whitefish, Mont. He has a lakeside home near Glacier National Park.
Jackson told reporters after his speech that he’s waiting to hear from doctors on whether he’s healthy enough to make it through another 82-game regular season. He said he wouldn’t want to leave the team without a coach in the middle of the season, as Karl was forced to do earlier this year.
The 64-year-old Jackson has two replaced hips, a sore knee requiring a brace under his suit during the season and a previous heart problem.
