The Lakers announced Phil Jackson’s contract extension today, which wouldn’t be news except for this twist: the second year (2009-10) is actually an option year for Phil, meaning he could choose to decline it and be finished with the Lakers after the 2008-09 season. Which, perhaps not so coincidentally, is when Kobe Bryant can opt out of his contract. The drama just never ends with the Lakers, does it?

Here’s what some of the Lakers’ brass had to say:

Mitch Kupchak: Nobody has been more successful from the sideline in the history of this game than Phil and his record obviously speaks for itself. Were excited to have a coach of his experience, stature and ability leading this team for the foreseeable future.

Jerry Buss: In the opinion of most people in basketball, and certainly in our opinion, Phil is the greatest coach in the history of the NBA, and were very pleased that hes decided to stay with the Lakers for an extended period of time. Simply put, hes the best coach in the business and he will be a valuable part of the development of our team as we continue to improve.