Jackson ends career with playoff exit

DALLAS - Phil Jackson, the most successful coach in NBA history, walked gingerly off the court for what is likely to be the final time following the Los Angeles Lakers’ season-ending loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.

Having led the Chicago Bulls to six championships in the 1990s, and the Lakers to five since, the 65-year-old has called it a career after his 20th season as a head coach.

“All of my hopes and aspirations are that this is the final game that I will coach,” Jackson told reporters after his Lakers were swept from the playoffs in a crushing 122-86 defeat to the Mavericks.

“This has been a wonderful run. I go out with a sour note after being fined 35,000 dollars by the league earlier today.”

The NBA fined Jackson earlier in the day for comments made about the officiating in the series. The penalty hardly detracts from the astounding career the Hall of Famer Jackson has enjoyed, including the 11 NBA titles and suffering just 10 playoff series losses.

Reuters