the phil jackson heel turn

brief preface:

-the following is all based on my imagination and i in no way think that this is how things will play out. but i think it'd be pretty awesome if it did.

-'heel turn,' is a term used in pro wrestling that refers to the act of a good guy becoming a bad guy. 

the lakers were recently eliminated from the playoffs by the san antonio spurs. it wasn't much of a contest at all. not only did the spurs sweep the series, but they pretty much left the lakers embarrassed and beat down. it hasn't been an easy season for the lakers. they fired their coach mike brown waaaay early in the season. then they replaced him with mike d'antoni. and they were forced to deal with tons of injuries and drama along the way. they were supposed to be the team to beat this season after picking up steve nash and dwight howard in the offseason. instead, they weren't a lock for the playoffs till the final game of the season. and on top of all that, kobe will be sidelined with an injury probably well into next season.

when they were looking to replace mike brown at head coach, rumors were swirling that the lakers were flirting with the legendary phil jackson. some rumors and reports had it that it was likely phil jackson would coach the lakers once more. and then one day they hired mike d'antoni to the surprise of basketball fans everywhere and even phil jackson apparently. phil jackson, possibly the greatest nba coach of all time, had been snubbed publicly. 

meanwhile on the other side of the staples center is la's other basketball team, the clippers. the clippers entire history could probably be summed up with the phrase, 'mediocre at best.' but something was happening with the clippers. things were changing. they were getting good... not just good, but better than the lakers (at least for a season) good. 

now the clippers find themselves in an ugly best of seven playoff battle with the memphis grizzlies. the clippers opened up the series 2-0. but since then, the grizzlies have been able to win two in a row and tie it up. and now things aren't looking as promising as they once were for the clippers.

what i imagine happens from here on in is that the clippers lose their next two games. the grizzlies beat them four times in a row. the clippers find themselves knocked out of the playoffs in the first round and embarrassed. ownership figures they can do better than this and blames it on the coaching staff. head coach vinny del negro is fired.

meanwhile, the lakers also decide to fire mike d'antoni and start looking for another coach. and when the lakers need another coach, who's the first name that's gonna come up in the hearts and minds of fans everywhere? phil motherfucking jackson, that's who. he'll come back, bring the la lakers back to their glory, win one more championship, and head out into the sunset with his reputation as the greatest of all time in tact.

except that the clippers decide that they're gonna make a play for phil jackson also. ownership knows they have more promising talent than the lakers. with kobe likely sitting out for a big chunk of next season, the clippers might just have enough going for them to convince phil jackson that they're the team from la he should coach next season. 

the offseason becomes hectic and no one can stop talking about phil jackson. what's he gonna do? he can't possibly consider coaching that other la basketball team when he's so synonymous with the lakers franchise. the drama is thick. espn won't stop talking about it. tweeters won't stop tweeting about it. phil jackson decides he'll produce his very own decision special, just like lebron james did a few years back.

and on that night, when basketball fans everywhere are glued to their tube to see where the zen master's gonna go, he slyly keeps everyone waiting. we're entertained with clips of him embracing trophies with the likes of jordan, pippen, kobe, and shaq. and then at the very end phil calmly sits down in a chair while stephen a. smith asks him, 'well coach, who's it gonna be?' and phil jackson says,

"i've decided next season i will return to la......"

3 seconds pass...

"to coach the clippers."

and just like that, the heel turn is complete. the lakers fate was sealed the moment they chose d'antoni over jackson. and i like to think that the phil jackson lead clippers will steamroll the western division and find themselves in a highly contested finals series with the heat, who are trying to three peat. it goes all the way to game seven and the only person who can stump the unstoppable lebron james is the only person left in the nba universe who could ever possibly cast a shadow over "the king." phil jackson, 12 time champion as a head coach. suck it lakers. suck it lebron. suck it pat riley. this is phil jackson's game.