Talking With: Ken Miller, Los Angeles Sentinel (Part II)
Here is Part Two of our interview with Ken Miller, longtime basketball writer and the Sports and Entertainment Editor at the Los Angeles Sentinel. Part One sparked a lot of conversation, which we were happy to see. Hopefully, the next installment will do the same. Enjoy.
Andrew Kamenetzky: In terms of bringing back Phil Jackson, to me it seemed to be an odd decision if the strategy is to prepare for two or three years from now. To bring in a guy like Phil, who carries expectations of championships or close to that level, when the team isn’t anywhere near that? What’s your opinion on that hire?
Ken Miller: I think the hiring of Phil Jackson was solely a reputation hire. The Lakers as a franchise, their reputation is in the toilet. When they made the blockbuster trade with Shaquille O’Neal and they sided with Kobe Bryant, they had to bring Phil Jackson in. He was the only guy that they could have brought in that could have given the organization a bona fide reputation. There’s no question that Phil brings that kind of reputation to the Lakers, and I think that he takes a lot of the negativity away from Kobe Bryant. The fact of the matter is that when Phil Jackson is done in three years- if he’s done, because we really don’t know when Phil is going to be done- but if he’s done in three years, I think what they’re going to do is to move Phil Jackson into a decision making capacity upstairs, so that he can attract the players in. Because Kobe Bryant cannot attract the players and they are not guys who are willing to come and play for Mitch Kupchak. So Phil Jackson is going to have to be the magnet to get one of those superstars over here.
I just don’t see it happening. I don’t see it happening, because I think the level of players they’re going to go after, they’re going to be guys who have probably won a championship with their existing team, and are going to want to play for a team that has an opportunity to win a championship. You talk about the marketing base and expanding your personal profile, but that hasn’t helped Kobe Bryant. Why would it help another solid superstar? I don’t even know if it’s going to make a difference. There’s not a guy out there like that. Probably the next superstar is gonna come from the high school and college ranks. You’re talking 2010, 2011 before the Lakers can get that kind of player. I really don’t see the Lakers winning another NBA championship in the next twenty to twenty five years.
AK: Really?
KM: Really.

