Jeanie Buss said Phil Jackson was never offered an official position with the Lakers

 Phil Jackson during his introductory press conference at Madison Square Garden on March 18, 2014 in New York City.

Phil Jackson during his introductory press conference at Madison Square Garden on March 18, 2014 in New York City.

The news that the Lakers chose Mike D’Antoni over Phil Jackson to become the next Lakers coach affected Jeanie Buss’ emotional well being. After a tumultuous season filled with a first-round exit, never-ending injuries and a split among stars and role players in embracing D’Antoni’s fast-paced system, Buss conceded wondering how things may have played out differently had Jackson become the coach. And this whole dynamic bothered Buss so much she detailed her frustration on how it affected her relationship with her brother, the Lakers vice president of basketball operations Jim Buss, in a memoir released before this season.

Yet, on an appearance with Time Warner Cable SportsNet on Tuesday night, Buss sounded fairly pragmatic in reflecting on the events that ultimately led toward Jackson becoming president of the New York Knicks’ basketball operations.

“He was not offered any official position,” Buss said regarding Jackson with the Lakers. “There is no role in the front office for him for what he can contribute. Maybe I could have him sell sponsorships, do something like that and work security. But I don’t think that would be something that would give Phil the kind of challenge he’s looking for that would fulfill him. Anybody that knows when you’re not involved in a relationship, if your significant other isn’t happy or satisfied with they’re doing, it’s not fun. Everybody has to find what their passion is. For Phil, basketball is his passion and he’s good at it.”

So much that Jackson won an NBA record 11 championships, including five with the Lakers. So much that Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard had hoped Jackson would return to coach last season. So much that even when Jackson had stated this past year he had no interest in coaching, the majority of Laker fans at Staples Center yelled, “We want Phil” during blowout losses.

Yet, Jackson had expressed hope to have a front office role. So why not with the Lakers?

It turns out the late Lakers owner Jerry Buss didn’t want it that way.

“The way my father left things was for us to operate the team as a family,” Buss said. “Where I have influence, it’s important to me to have teamwork, to build consensus, to have everybody on the same page, and even if there’s disagreement, to get an understanding of why. That’s my style of dealing with things.”

Buss still operates the business side of the Lakers’ operations and represents as the team’s president during Board of Governor meetings. Jim oversees basketball operations and is in charge of Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak, who deals directly with agents. So had Jackson had a front office role, Jim would have been replaced.

“I wanted Phil to know…if there was no role for him with the Lakers, that he should be free to pursue other interests,” Buss said. “I wish him well and the Knicks to do well and I want the Lakers to be No. 1 If we meet in the playoffs, that means we’ll be int he Finals. I welcome that opportunity because I know the best team will win.”

Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson hardly sounded thrilled last week about that prospect.

Johnson wrote in a burst of tweets questioning Lakers management and arguing the Lakers needed to hire Jackson in the front office. Bryant challenged Jeanie and Jim to improve their relationship, asked rhetorically whether D’Antoni will stay and that the Lakers need to a build a championship roster next season. Bryant also lamented the Lakers possibly letting Jackson walk.

Buss downplayed Bryant’s critiques, arguing they may have been a product of frustration stemmed from playing only six games and remaining sidelined since December because of a fractured left knee.

“He’s such a competitor, and I can only imagine what he’s going through right now because he has no outlet for that,” Buss said of Bryant. “I lived with that. I lived with Phil Jackson and I know how competitive he is, and if that competitiveness is not fed or have an outlet, they can drive you crazy.”

As for Bryant’s actual critiques of the front office, Buss said, “I have complete confidence in Jimmy and Mitch to put together the kind of team that Laker fans are used to.”

Whether that actually happens remains to be seen.

But at least one prominent Laker appeared in better spirits following Buss’ interview.

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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter and on Facebook. E-mail him at mark.medina@langnews.com