New York Knicks News: Phil Jackson Had No Interest in Coaching 'Clumsy' Knicks Team

By Peter Martin | June 16 2012 11:57 AM

Phil Jackson had no interest in coaching the New York Knicks at the end of this season, and would not have joined the team even if owner Mike Dolan had asked him to.

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Phil Jackson's new book profiles former players Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, and even compares the two superstars.

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I wasn't gonna take that job; that's for sure, he told HBO's Real Sports in an interview scheduled to air Tuesday night.

Jackson has won two NBA titles as a bench player with the New York Knicks and has been a constant candidate for the Knicks job every time it has been open since Michael Jordan's first retirement in 1993.

Jackson is one of the greatest coaches in NBA history with 11 titles to his credit. He was also named one of the top 10 coaches in league history by the NBA during its 50th anniversary celebrations in 1996.

Jackson expanded on his problems with the Knicks in the interview, saying that the construction of the team was clumsy.

They don't fit together well. (Amare) Stoudemire doesn't fit well with Carmelo (Anthony), Jackson said.

The coach has never presided over a team with a losing season and he has tended to bide his time waiting for the perfect roster to be available for him to take a job.

Jackson claimed in the interview that Knicks owner Mike Dolan never contacted him about the vacancy, despite rumors that he was interested in the job.

Mike Woodson was made the head coach of the team in late May after spending the second half of the season as the interim head coach after the firing of Mike D'Antoni.