Phil Jackson releases statement on Mike Woodson firing
By Josh Hill
The New York Knicks surprised no one on Monday morning when they announced Mike Woodson and his entire coaching staff had been relieved of their duties and fired, effective immediately. This was a move we all saw coming a mile away, as there had been rumblings of Woodson being fired as far back as December 2013.
As is standard practice, new president of basketball operations Phil Jackson released a statement on Woodson’s firing and gave the typical empty gestured pat on the back to the man he just fired for being bad at his job.
"“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Mike Woodson and his entire staff,” Jackson said in the team’s statement. “The coaches and players on this team had an extremely difficult 2013/14 season, and blame should not be put on one individual. But the time has come for change throughout the franchise as we start the journey to assess and build this team for next season and beyond. Everyone in this franchise owes a great deal of gratitude to what Mike and his staff have done. We wish him the best.”"
The search will now begin to replace Woodson but the Knicks have a head start there too as TNT analyst Steve Kerr is heavily rumored to be the frontrunner for the gig. No matter who takes the job for the Knicks, the inevitable has happened with Woodson and he is no longer being strung along by a team that has wanted him gone for months.
[H/T: KnicksNow]