 Although Gore was considered the party favorite , Bradley received a number of high @-@ profile endorsements , including senators Paul Wellstone , Bob Kerrey , and Daniel Patrick Moynihan ; former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich ; former New York City mayor Ed Koch ; former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker ; and basketball stars Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson . Bradley and Jackson have been close friends since they were teammates playing for the New York Knicks . Jackson was a vocal supporter of Bradley 's run for the presidency and often wore his campaign button in public . He announced his acceptance of the position of head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers while Bradley was campaigning in California in 1999 , and he was a " regular draw on the Bradley money trail " during the campaign . Bradley later called it a " great honor " to be the presenter when Jackson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007 . 
