Phil Jackson Fined $25,000 For Tampering

Phil Jackson hasn’t selected a head coach for the New York Knicks yet, but he’s already received a fine for tampering. Last week, Jackson mentioned current Oklahoma City Thunder guard Derek Fisher – one of Phil’s former players and owner of five rings with the Lakers – as a potential coaching candidate for the Knicks.

The Thunder weren’t feeling that bit of commentary and the league levied a $25,000 fine against Phil.

Among the reasons the league took this step, sources said, was to reinforce its annual reminders to teams of the league’s anti-tampering rules, which prohibit teams from direct or indirect expressions of interest in other teams’ impending free agents.

Jackson commented about Fisher on Friday last week as the Thunder were battling the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals, saying Fisher is “a person that’s on my list of guys that could be very good candidate for this job.”

Despite the fine, Fisher and Phil are scheduled to meet later this week.