Phil Jackson Thinks Kobe Bryant Will Play Beyond This Season, But Not for the Lakers

Phil Jackson Thinks Kobe Bryant Will Play Next Season, But Not for the Lakers

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Phil Jackson won five championships with Kobe Bryant as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, and maintains a close relationship with him to this day. Jackson is also engaged to Jeanie Buss, who runs things in L.A. from the business side, and just happens to be one of the team's owners.

So, when Jackson decides to openly discuss what could potentially occur with Bryant's future, he's coming from an extremely credible place.

Speaking to reporters at Knicks media day on Friday, Jackson said he doesn't believe that the upcoming season will be Kobe's last. He did, however, seem to intimate that if Bryant does choose to play an additional season, it will be for someone other than the Lakers.

Bryant, of course, is in the final year of his contract with the Lakers, and has had major injury issues in each of the past two seasons -- three if you count the torn Achilles he suffered at the end of 2013 which started his downhill slide. 

Jackson may simply be speculating here, and might not have any inside information as to what Bryant or the Lakers are thinking beyond the upcoming season. But given his relationships with the involved parties, the "Kobe to the Knicks in 2016" rumors have gotten off to a somewhat official start.

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