Phil Jackson: Millennial-style coaching led to Fisher's exit

Given the Knicks' considerable improvement of late, Phil Jackson's decision to fire Derek Fisher this past February left many wondering what went wrong between the team's president and his former player.

Jackson opened up about Fisher's dismissal several weeks later in a recently published interview with Charley Rosen of todaysfastbreak.com, citing a difference in coaching approaches as the main reason for Fisher's firing.

"One difference I had with Derek is that I'm much more interested than he was in training groups. The Knights of the Round Table kind of thing," Jackson said. "He was training individuals, which was really in tune with the so-called millennials, young people and young players who are primarily interested in themselves."

Jackson also suggested that Fisher's personal life may have played a part in his coaching struggles, as the former bench boss was forced to deal with a divorce during his first season with the club.

"Almost from the start, this was a difficult time for Derek," he said. "Derek did have a situation that took some focus away from his coaching during the preseason, but I never doubted that his focus was on coaching the team. A divorce and coast-to-coast move with children does put pressure on a person’s life, but that's the NBA. However, Derek did move the team forward."

While Jackson and Fisher didn't always see eye to eye, the Zen Master credited the 42-year-old for his work ethic and attitude throughout his tenure.

"He was dedicated and he worked hard," Jackson added. "The players hustled and, for the most part, stayed as positive as was possible. And Derek did manage to survive last season and to deal with the heavy pressure of the constant losing, which is probably more intense in New York than in any other NBA city."