The NBA’s power couple has split.
New York Knicks president Phil Jackson and Los Angeles Lakers managing partner Jeanie Buss announced Tuesday on Twitter that they’ve called off their engagement and seemingly ended their romantic relationship. They cited the distance between the cities in which they work and live as the main reason for their decision.
Jackson, 71, and Buss, 55, started dating in 1999 during his first season as Lakers head coach. They have been engaged since Christmas 2012, a year after Jackson retired from coaching.
Jackson has been in charge of the Knicks since 2014. Some have speculated he might opt out of his $12 million annual contract after this season and take a similar role with the Lakers, but he and Buss have repeatedly denied those rumors.
If those denials hadn’t ended the rumors, two-plus years of distance dating and the announcement of the end of the Jackson-Buss engagement certainly will.
Thumbnail photo via Jayne Kamin/Oncea-USA TODAY Sports Images
