The NBA is aware that the relationship between newly crowned Knicks President of Basketball Operations Phil Jackson and his fiance Jeanie Buss, who is the the President of the Los Angeles Lakers, could raise red flags as a potential conflict of interest violation.
But don´t worry, ESPN reports that the NBA has covered all of its bases and has had a conversation with both about what their professional parameters are.
“The Knicks’ hiring of Phil Jackson is subject to the league’s conflict of interest rules,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass told ESPN.com. “To avoid even the appearance of a conflict, we have addressed the issue with the Knicks and Lakers to ensure that the relationship between Jeanie Buss and Phil Jackson will not affect how the teams operate.”
Buss also acknowledged that she had a conversation about league rules regarding her and Jacksonś relationship with NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
“There is an understanding all trades are approved by the NBA, and I don’t anticipate any problem because I don’t make the basketball decisions on behalf of the Lakers,” said Buss, who has indeed previously ceded all basketball decisions to her brother Jim and team general manager Mitch Kupchak. “So I really don’t see where there would be a conflict.”
Still kind of a slippery slope if you ask me. Well-placed pillow talk could be a dangerous thing.