May 6, 2005
NEW YORK (AP) -- Knicks president Isiah Thomas still hopes to lure Phil Jackson back to New York, but he is interviewing other coaching candidates.
Thomas has talked to former Golden State coach and current Spurs' assistant P.J. Carlesimo, as well as Flip Saunders -- fired by Minnesota in February. He also plans to contact other coaches still involved in the playoffs, all as fallbacks to Jackson.
``We have a lot of people that we're talking to, but when you look at the resume, there's no one that has (Jackson's) body of work,'' Thomas said Thursday. ``I don't think anyone who's coaching today, other than Larry Brown, can really talk about being at that level. Everyone else is good.
``Like I was good, but I wasn't Michael Jordan. He was a little better.''
Jackson met with Thomas in Los Angeles on April 25 to discuss a return to the team that as a player he helped win the 1973 championship. But Jackson also led the Los Angeles Lakers to three titles as coach, leaving after the 2003-04 season.
Lakers owner Jerry Buss has made it known that Jackson is on a short list of candidates to replace interim coach Frank Hamblen.
``Wherever he decided to go, he'll put all his energy into it,'' Thomas said. ``The Lakers didn't make the playoffs. We didn't make the playoffs. It's going to be dirty work either place.''
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