Throughout the 1998-1999 season, Jackson, who had left the Bulls, did not look for a new job but instead lay low, seeking the best opportunity.
Emotionally, he divorced his wife after his affair was exposed, returning to a bachelor’s life.
While living a reclusive and spiritual life in a small village by Iliamna Lake in Alaska, he awaited work opportunities to emerge.
Phil Jackson learned about being hired by the Lakers from local children, who saw the news on ESPN, and followed him out of Alaska’s barren land to the sunny Los Angeles.
Of course, this was Phil Jackson’s own recounting; he implied that he cast himself into the wilderness for meditation, like Jiang Ziya fishing with a straight hook, indifferent to worldly affairs, quietly awaiting willing fish to bite.
Indeed, the keen-eyed Los Angeles Lakers sought him out, hoping he’d emerge to assist O’Neal and Kidd, leading the team to pursue the championship. Jackson believed Los Angeles could showcase his talent and decided to emerge.
But in reality, Phil Jackson was far from the carefree, serene figure he’d claimed to be — teams like the New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets offered him olive branches, but Jackson turned them down one by one.
Especially in the summer of 1998, the Nets wanted Jackson to coach; they had Pippen, Olajuwon, and Barkley, yet Jackson rejected the opportunity, realizing such a coalition of aging stars was unlikely to succeed — he didn’t want to ruin his reputation.
This year, in the summer of 1999, he witnessed Gan Guoyang and the Trail Blazers encounter a major crisis, nearing disintegration.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers boasted a powerful roster, excellent management, and ample maneuvering space. Phil Jackson, who wouldn’t act unrewarded, found perfect alignment with this carefully selected target team, parachuting into Los Angeles to lead the Purple and Gold Legion back to glory.
It was indeed a perfect timing point; O’Neal and Jason Kidd were about to enter the pinnacle stage of their careers, Tracy McGrady also showcased endless potential.
The team’s core lineup was reaching its prime, and they had excellent role players like Fisher and Holi. With just a little adjustment, the Lakers would certainly have the strongest championship competitiveness for the next three to five years.
Once Ah Gan retires, the Western Conference would belong to the Lakers, ending the long oppression they’d experienced since 1986, and the dawn was about to break.
As the dawn was about to arrive and darkness was retreating, Phil Jackson didn’t mind joining the Lakers and being the rooster that heralds the sun.
If he could eliminate the weakened Trail Blazers once more in the Western Conference playoffs, Phil Jackson would fulfill an unachieved career dream.
It was a regret shared by Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan during their Bulls era, as they couldn’t surpass the mountain of Ah Gan.
From this, it’s clear that Phil Jackson was exceptionally shrewd and calculating, yet in an odd twist, he liked to craft a worldly wise image using so-called Eastern philosophy.
This was also the key reason behind Michael Jordan’s fallout with Jackson after 1998; he felt Jackson wasn’t sincere enough, utilizing him far too much.
For similar reasons, Gan Guoyang did not have high regard for Phil Jackson, yet had to admit Jackson was quite an impressive head coach.
It’s just that Jackson’s expertise could be seen through and countered by Gan Guoyang, causing Jackson, despite having a psychological edge and better strategy than the Trail Blazers’ coach during several finals, to struggle to secure a single victory.
Now, both in the Western Conference, and having joined the Lakers, Gan Guoyang knew Jackson was coming for him, aiming to add a fiery blaze to the season when everyone pushed against the wall.