NAMES & FACES

Phil Jackson

The New York Knicks’ president doubts Kobe Bryant’s 20th season will be his last — though Jackson thinks it might be Bryant’s final season with the Los Angeles Lakers, his only team. Bryant is going into the last season of his contract and is coming off a couple of injuryshortened seasons. “I don’t think it’s his last year,” Jackson said Friday. “Sounds like it may be his last year as a Laker.” Jackson, who coached Bryant to five NBA titles with the Lakers, said he sent Bryant a message last month for his 37th birthday. Jackson said great players such as Bryant and Michael Jordan, who teamed with Jackson for six championships in Chicago, can handle the speed of the game as they get older, but “your body fails you.” He said: “That’s the denominator there. It’s kind of a comeuppance from God or from age. With Kobe, he’s had two seasons (that) have been aborted because of injuries. I think he’s going to be really better than people think.”

Pete Rose

The all-time major-league hits leader (4,256) has made his case for reinstatement with Commissioner Rob Manfred. MLB said in a statement Friday that the meeting with Rose, 74, took place Thursday at baseball’s headquarters in New York. “Commissioner Manfred informed Mr. Rose that he will make a decision on his application by the end of the calendar year,” MLB said. Then Cincinnati’s manager, Rose agreed in 1989 to a lifetime ban from baseball after an investigation concluded Rose bet on games involving the Reds while managing Cincinnati.