LOS ANGELES -- Lakers coach Phil Jackson cracked in January his team's Staples Center cohabitants, the Clippers, weren't cursed as a franchise but said, "I do think there is karma in effect ultimately."
Less than an hour after news broke the Clippers had "severed ties" with general manager Mike Dunleavy just more than a month after he had relinquished his coaching duties to Kim Hughes, Jackson maintained despite whatever karmic implications there might be, a job running the Clippers is still an attractive one.
"Look at the number of coaches that they've had over the course of the years," Jackson said. "Bill Fitch was here, Larry Brown was here for a half a season. ... Alvin Gentry was here for a while as their coach. They've had a number of guys that have got experience or have been experienced coaches that have come here off of winning programs.
"I think that opportunities are opportunities in the NBA. If someone of quality is going to give it a shot, someone is going to want and come and turn it around."
Jackson would not give an opinion on the Clippers' decision to relieve Dunleavy of his position in the middle of the Clippers' game against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, less than five weeks after Dunleavy went back to being solely the GM.
"I really can't comment on that," Jackson said. "It's up to the owner and what owner you're involved with."
The Clippers are owned by Donald Sterling.
In January, Jackson suggested Sterling's "incidents on file" were the reason for the Clippers' struggles.
"If you do a good mitzvah," Jackson said, referring to the Jewish term for an act of kindness, "maybe you can eliminate some of those things. You don't think Sterling's done enough mitzvahs to eliminate some of those?"
Dave McMenamin covers the Lakers for ESPNLosAngeles.com.