NBA: Phil Jackson told Lakers he had prostate cancer

The Los Angeles Lakers were in the middle of a 2011 second-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks when former coach Phil Jackson told the team he was diagnosed with prostate cancer two months earlier.

 

Jackson talked about his condition, which was diagnosed in March 2011, and his announcement to the players in his upcoming book, "Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success."

 

According to a report in the Orange County Register, Jackson "sensed the team was lacking something" in the series with the Mavericks when he revealed his news after consulting with captains Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher.

 

The Lakers were swept out of the playoffs by the eventual champion Mavericks.

 

Jackson, 67, retired as Lakers coach after the team was eliminated from the playoffs that season, but rumors have surfaced recently that he is interested in returning to work, possibly in a front-office position with an NBA team. - Reuters