Former coach and 13-time NBA champion Phil Jackson is in frequent contact with Lakers president Jeanie Buss regarding team matters, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Bill Oram. Jackson and Buss previously dated and were engaged before the wedding was called off in 2016.
Jackson, who has no title or position with the Lakers organization, has had Buss’s ear when it comes to important team matters all season, per Amick and Oram. He is especially interested in the situation surrounding point guard Russell Westbrook. Westbrook was acquired in a trade last offseason but has struggled since joining Los Angeles.