HoopsHype.com Rumors

Kurt Rambis: I can't believe @Kobe Bryant tore his achilles on such a simple play. So many amazing plays this year. Come back better than ever. #Lakers Twitter @KRambis

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Injuries, Kurt Rambis 

Kurt Rambis: I can't believe Pitino ducked when the confetti cannon went off. #NCAAChamps. Twitter @KRambis

Coaching, NCAA, Kurt Rambis, Rick Pitino 

Dave McMenamin: Jeanie Buss is back in her seat for tonight's game, sitting next to Kurt Rambis and his wife/Jeanie's dear friend, Linda Twitter @mcten

Los Angeles Lakers, Jerry Buss, Kurt Rambis, Jeanie Buss 

If there's a sign that Phil Jackson truly isn't looking to return to coaching -- as he has said -- it's that Kurt Rambis is expected to be in the mix to replace Kevin O'Neill as the USC men's basketball coach. Rambis was expected to join Jackson wherever he alit next, be it in Seattle (Jackson's son is involved in the new arena planning) or in Brooklyn. Sulia

Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Coaching, NCAA, Kurt Rambis 

Kurt Rambis: Congrats to the @WashWizards on their first win of the #nba season Twitter @KRambis

Washington Wizards, Kurt Rambis 

Source: D'Antoni considered adding Kurt Rambis to his staff as an olive branch to LAL fans salty about Phil. That was before Rambis torched D'Antoni in his role as an ESPN analyst for not developing bigs or essentially being the right guy to bolster LAL's defense. D'Antoni is a nice guy, but I don't know if he's nice enough to ignore all that. Sulia

Los Angeles Lakers, Coaching, Mike D'Antoni, Kurt Rambis 

Team officials said the decision had to do with a belief that D'Antoni's up-tempo offense was a better fit for this group than Jackson's triangle, but his representatives and longtime friend and assistant Kurt Rambis strongly denied speculation that Jackson had asked for too much in negotiations and eventually led to his own undoing. USA Today

Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Mitch Kupchak, Coaching, Mike D'Antoni, Kurt Rambis, Jim Buss 

ESPN NBA analyst Kurt Rambis, a former Lakers player and assistant coach who worked on Jackson-led staffs from 2001-2004 and 2005-2009 and remains close friends with Jackson, said Jackson told him there had never been any discussions of salary or restrictions on a potential return and that he and the Lakers had agreed to wait until Monday to negotiate. "It's a process with Phil," Rambis said Monday. "He goes through an entire mental process of envisioning the season and how to get the team to the NBA Finals. It's about winning for him, not just whether he wants to coach." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Mitch Kupchak, Coaching, Mike D'Antoni, Kurt Rambis, Jim Buss 

"No money was discussed," said Rambis, the former Minnesota Timberwolves head coach who was expected to rejoin Jim Cleamons on Jackson's staff. "All of these things that are out there about partial ownership, and lack of travel, and no practice time -- all of that stuff is categorically false. None of those conversations ever happened. Ever. It was about whether or not he wanted to come and coach the team." USA Today

Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Coaching, Kurt Rambis 

"If you're talking about having success and having this team and someone who knows how to guide a team to an NBA title, Phil is that guy," he said. "There's no second, third, fourth or fifth choice at this point in time. He's that guy. I don't know if Jim Buss knows one system from another in terms of how it fits with players, or what works best for players, or what's the difference between them. I don't know if he really understands that, so a lot of times decisions are made on gut feelings and with outside sources that have an influence on it." USA Today

Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Coaching, Kurt Rambis, Jim Buss 

"The other thing that this organization has to keep in mind, is that if things don't work out really well here, and Dwight Howard's not happy, he's a free agent," Rambis said. "He could leave, and that would be disastrous for the imminent future of this team. I think you can see that there's a lot of pressure on this organization to win, and ultimately that's what you have to do. And Phil has been the coach in recent history who's had the most success here." USA Today

Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Coaching, Kurt Rambis 

Jackson, according to a source who knows him well, is in good shape after having a knee replacement last March. The likelihood is that if Jackson returns to coach, he'd want to bring back many of his longtime assistants, including Jim Cleamons, Frank Hamblen and Kurt Rambis. Most observers around the league think it would be easy for the team's current personnel that weren't in Los Angeles when Jackson last coached the Lakers to pick up the triangle offense Jackson has used since his days in Chicago in the 1990s. The offense would be especially good for Howard, who could thrive in the low post the same way Shaquille O'Neal did when the Lakers won three straight titles from 2001 through 2003. NBA.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Coaching, Frank Hamblen, Jim Cleamons, Kurt Rambis 

If Jackson decides to take the job, he's expected to bring back former assistant coaches Kurt Rambis, Jim Cleamons and Frank Hamblen. Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said money won't be a problem in negotiations with Jackson. Yahoo! Sports

Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Coaching, Frank Hamblen, Jim Cleamons, Kurt Rambis 

Two key Jackson assistants, Kurt Rambis and Jim Cleamons, are available and ready to join Jackson, 67, if he decides to reunite with the Lakers once again, sources said. CBSSports.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Coaching, Jim Cleamons, Kurt Rambis 

In fact, Jackson wanted to get back into coaching last summer if the Knicks hadn't decided to sign then-interim coach Mike Woodson to a long-term deal, according to a person with connections to Jackson. Jackson was prepared to bring former assistant and current TV analyst Kurt Rambis with him to New York if the Knicks had approached him about the job, the person said. CBSSports.com

Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Mike Woodson, Phil Jackson, Coaching, Kurt Rambis 

Jackson would have his choice of key former assistants, including Rambis, if his reunion with the Lakers became a reality. ESPNLosAngeles.com reported Friday that Jackson is open to a return to the NBA sidelines and has kept abreast of developments with the Lakers and around the league. CBSSports.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Coaching, Kurt Rambis 

Steve Aschburner: Rambis on ESPN says, "Despite what everyone thinks, Steve Nash would fit with the triangle beautifully." Said same re: Jonny Flynn tho. Twitter @AschNBA

Los Angeles Lakers, Steve Nash, Coaching, Kurt Rambis 

Mark Medina: Jeanie Buss told me Phil Jackson & Kurt Rambis have helped Pau Gasol's brother, Adria, who's a UCLA walkon & has little hoops experience Twitter

Los Angeles Lakers, Pau Gasol, Phil Jackson, Kurt Rambis, Jeanie Buss, Adria Gasol 

Mike Bresnahan: Kurt Rambis joins Time Warner coverage as analyst for some Laker games, starting next Weds. He'll also do analysis for ESPN this season. Twitter @Mike_Bresnahan

Media, Kurt Rambis 

Kurt Rambis: Honored to introduce top #NBA referee Greg Willard at the @PanCAN Pancreatic Cancer gala tonight. He's receiving the 'Spirit of Hope' award Twitter @KRambis

Kurt Rambis, Greg Willard