The Los Angeles Lakers may have hired Phil Jackson as their next head coach had he not hesitated when meeting with Mitch Kupchak and Jim Buss.

Jackson asked for two more days to contemplate coming back to the Lakers.

"We would have gone back immediately and gone back and holed up with Dr. [Jerry] Buss and decided what we were going to do that day," Kupchak said.

The Lakers moved forward with Mike D'Antoni after not hearing back from Jackson for approximately 30 hours.

"There was no agreement to wait for [Jackson's] response on Monday," Kupchak said. "He told us that's when he would get back to us. I could see where he might interpret that as 'You guys would wait for me.' But I thought when I said I had to go on and interview other candidates that it was clear I had a job to do."