Phil Jackson’s first two transactions as President of Basketball Operations for the New York Knicks were small. He signed former Lakers Shannon Brown and Lamar Odom for the remainder of the 2013-14 season. Brown appeared in just 19 games and Odom’s demons kept him from the court. Jackson’s third move was substantial. He needed to pick a head coach after firing incumbent Mike Woodson, and the Zen Master chose another Laker, the recently retired Derek Fisher.
Jackson set a precedent with those decisions. He was going to surround himself with familiar faces and attempt to create some bootleg Lakers team.