Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant will be reunited -- something that only months ago would have seemed unfathomable. AP
	THE ZEN MASTER RETURNS • Phil Jackson returns to coach the Lakers • Marty Burns: Zen and now • SI Flashback: Father Phil • SI Photo Gallery: Jackson's journey
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So, Phil Jackson is returning to the Lakers? Why not? This is the NBA, where no feud is so big it can't be smoothed over in the name of big drama, big entertainment and, yes, big money.

Jackson torched Kobe Bryant in his book last year, so what. He revealed details of private conversations with GM Mitch Kupchak and others, so what. That was Zen. This is Now.

The bottom line is Jackson is a great coach, and the Lakers feel they need him to get back atop the NBA. They're even willing to pay a reported $10 million per season over the next three years. That's a lot of dough for someone who doesn't put the ball in the basket or grab a rebound, but it's hard to argue with Jackson's resume.

Like Joe Gibbs returning to the Redskins, Jackson is going to bring a lot of excitement to Los Angeles. Fans are probably already lining I-405, a la O.J.'s slow-speed White Bronco chase, to catch a glimpse of the Zen Master riding in on his white Harley. It's not going to be easy for Jackson to turn it around, especially with Shaquille O'Neal no longer in town, but he at least should get the Lakers back in the playoffs.

His first task will be to repair his relationship with Bryant. Jackson said at a news conference to announce his hiring that the two had spoken briefly on Tuesday morning. Jackson no doubt will assure his young superstar in future conversations that his criticisms of Bryant's behavior were constructive in nature and designed to make him a better player.

Will it work? Probably. This is Hollywood, after all, where soap opera style re-marriages occur all the time. Former Lakers guard Brian Shaw, now a team executive, said last week at the Chicago Pre-Draft camp that he thought Jackson and Bryant could work out their differences.

"I think that enough time has gone by for whatever friction or static or whatever you want to call it between Kobe and Phil, that they can both put that behind them and move forward," he said. "Kobe's going to work hard at his game. He's got a lot of pride. Phil does as well. It's just a matter of them getting together and talking."

Hornets assistant Jim Cleamons, a former member of Jackson's staffs with the Bulls and Lakers title teams, echoed Shaw's sentiment. "Phil's a great person," said Cleamons, when reached Tuesday at his office in New Orleans. "He'll take the high road. And Kobe's an outstanding player. I'm quite sure they will work through their differences."

One of Jackson's strengths as a coach, of course, has been his ability to deal with different personalities. In Chicago he found a way to get Michael Jordan to buy into the triangle offense and Dennis Rodman to stay out of serious trouble. In L.A., he kept the Shaq-Kobe feud under control enough for the team to win three titles.

"He has the ability to reach out and integrate personalities and let each guy know that he has a part to play, and that the part is important," Cleamons says. "He's good at what he does, and one of the reasons is because he cares about his players as individuals."

Look for Jackson to patch things over with Bryant in short order and get the Lakers back among playoff teams in the West next season. However, L.A. still doesn't have enough muscle down low to contend for the NBA title. With no salary cap space and few tradeable assets, the Zen Master might need all three of those seasons on his contract before even getting close to a 10th NBA championship.

The question is, will Lakers fans be willing to wait that long? Or will they expect Jackson to deliver miracles right away? That's the flip side of this crazy NBA business that allows bizarre situations like this to occur in the first place.