Steve Nash says Phil Jackson would be a ‘coup for the franchise’

Point guard Steve Nash would welcome Phil Jackson if he’s hired by the Lakers to replace Mike Brown as head coach.

“It’d be a coup for the franchise,” said Nash. “His history with this club, with Pau [Gasol] and Kobe [Bryant] in particular, is fantastic. For me personally it would be a terrific experience.”

Brown was fired by the Lakers on Friday. In the interim, assistant Bernie Bickerstaff has been running the team.

The Lakers and Jackson have already met to discuss the position and will continue to do so over the coming week.

Nash is intrigued by the possibility of playing in Jackson’s triangle offense.

“It’s won a lot of championships. It’s hard to argue against that,” said Nash. “I look at it as a great opportunity for me to try something new at a different stage of my career.”

Nash was open-minded with Brown’s hybrid Princeton offense. The dismissal caught him off guard.

“You’re never used to it,” said Nash. “It’s a difficult part of our business. It’s a very competitive business. It can be very cold-hearted in some ways, but that’s the nature of it.”

The Lakers are considering other candidates, in case a deal with Jackson cannot be reached. Former Phoenix Suns coach Mike D’Antoni still has strong bond with his former player.

“Obviously I think everyone knows how much I love Mike,” said Nash. “If [D’Antoni] were to coach, it would be seamless and terrific for me, and I think the team as well.”

Nash suffered a non-displaced leg fracture against the Portland Trail Blazers in the Lakers’ second game of the season. He’s out for another week with no clear timetable for his return.

“Mother Nature is a big component of this, no matter how terrific our staff’s work is,” said Nash.

The Lakers play the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night, their fifth game without Nash.

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Lakers host the Kings as the ‘Bernie Bickerstaff Era’ continues

You can email Eric Pincus at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.