The biggest news of the basketball season in New York isn’t that the Knicks could turn things around or that the Brooklyn Nets may make the postseason and do some damage. It’s that Phil Jackson has brought his Zen attitude to the Big Apple in an attempt to make the Knicks stop sucking.

While the move is one that many thought wouldn’t happen, the reality of Jackson leading the Knicks front office is setting in and the team is already looking like it’s in better shape than it was last week and Jackson hasn’t even made a roster change yet.

The Zen Master appeared on the New York radio show Boomer and Carton, and explained why he chose the Knicks ash is next NBA home.

Per Royce Young from CBS Sports:

“I like the city, I like the basketball team, I don’t like all the way they’ve been playing lately, but they’re showing signs of playing like a team again. I think it’s a great time in the NBA to use the flexibility and availability that’s been given to teams in this new CBA between the owners and players … equity is supposed to be the big thing, caps on spending and things like that. But I do think it favors a place like New York.”

Jackson has some work to do before the Knicks are back to being contenders, but having him in the front office is a giant step forward. We’ll have to see how this plays out, as it can crash and burn in more ways than it can be successful, but optimism for the Knicks is rare, so we might as well enjoy it while it lasts.