Jackson to Coach “Home And Away Games”

Mitch Kupchak doesn't want Phil Jackson taking games off.

By KURT HELIN

Updated 4:00 PM PST, Wed, Jun 24, 2009

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Either you are all in or you are all out, Phil Jackson.

Yesterday in a radio interview, Phil Jackson said he and others have toyed with the idea of him not going on all the team’s road trips this year, taking a few off and letting Kurt Rambis take over sitting in the big chair with his arms crossed.

When Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak and Jackson spoke Wednesday, that idea went up in smoke.

"If he comes back to coach - He will come back and coach both home and away games" Kupchak said, first released via Lakers.com reporter Mike Trudell’s Twitter account.

Trudell also Tweeted: Kupchak said Jackson agreed with him that "Type of scenario doesn't work."

Anyone around the Lakers this season could see that Jackson is in some pain — he moves slowly, deliberately through the locker room. The man has had two hips replaced and put his body through years of wear and tear as a basketball player that is catching up with him now.

He’s likely only going to coach one more year, then slide into a consultant’s position. Handing the big chair over to Rambis for half a dozen games seemed like a good idea, easing the transition to a new coach. This is a team in the middle of a championship window, a drastic coaching change to a new style could be disruptive and set the squad back.

But for next year, there will be no change in coaching style. Unless Jackson decides he really doesn’t want to do any road trips. Or home games for that matter.