Lakers executive vice president of business operations Jeanie Buss is denying reports that family infighting could prevent Phil Jackson from returning as the team's coach after the season.

In an interview with ESPNLosAngeles.com, Buss suggested older comments written during and after Jackson's contentious departure from the Lakers following the 2004 NBA Finals are being resurfaced.

"Phil, I don't think was ready to leave, I wasn't ready for him to go. There was some tension that is now being repeated in the media," she said. "It's convenient to bring all that up again because Phil is in his last year of his contract and it's almost like d?j? vu, but it's nowhere near the same situation. I think that while there was some tension back in 2005, there isn't that tension that exists today."

Recently, Roland Lazenby suggested on HoopsHype.com that tension amongst Buss family members might prevent Jackson from returning for the 2011 season.