Phil Jackson Remembers the Rats

Tonight the Los Angeles Lakers will take a sentimental stroll down memory lane, as they face the Golden State Warriors in the Great Western Forum, the stadium they left behind ten years ago, when they moved to the Staples Center. Lots of good Laker memories, right? Err… Not for Phil Jackson. From the Orange County Register:

So what’s his best memory of the legendary arena, where players such as Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and Magic Johnson left indelible marks?

“I think the rats. There were very large rats that ran around under the bleachers,” Jackson said wryly. “There were quite a few of them.”

First off, Is there anything that Phil Jackson doesn’t say wryly? As for the Forum tonight, the Lakers will also be taking post game showers at their practice facility, thanks to the Forum’s terrible plumbing system. To review: rats, faulty plumbing, showers that haven’t been turned on in 10 years… Ah, the mystique!