Brian Shaw Criticizes the Lakers for Treatment of Phil Jackson


Indiana Pacers assistant coach Brian Shaw, who has had his own unpleasant dealings with the Los Angeles Lakers’ management team, was critical of the organization for the way they treated Phil Jackson when hiring Mike D’Antoni instead. Per the LA Times: Brian Shaw was definitely surprised the Lakers didn’t hire Phil Jackson after firing Mike Brown this month. Shaw was particularly taken aback that they informed Jackson in a midnight phone call of their choice to hire Mike D’Antoni. ‘Under the circumstances, Phil Jackson, who’s been there and done that and put a lot of money in everybody’s pockets around here, the way it was done . . . it’s mind-boggling,’ Shaw said. ‘I was joking with him, at least you got a phone call, even though it was midnight. In 11 years he was coach here, he took the team to the Finals seven times and won five. I don’t know if any of the other 29 teams would have done him the way he was done [by the Lakers] after he had done so much for the organization and the city.’ Shaw won three championships as a Lakers player under Jackson and was part of two more on Jackson’s coaching staff from 2005 to ’11. Shaw returns to Staples Center on Tuesday as the associate head coach of the Indiana Pacers, the right-hand man of Coach Frank Vogel. Shaw didn’t get a phone call from the Lakers after they fired Brown on Nov. 9. […] Shaw interviewed to replace Jackson after the 2010-11 season. He found out he didn’t get the job after seeing media reports of Brown’s hiring.”