Phil Jackson once again found a way to put the Knicks back in the headlines for actions that have little to nothing to do with basketball. When you’re considered quite possibly the greatest head coach of all-time and you’re the team president for one of the most historic franchises in the NBA located in New York, a few eyes will certainly be on you at all times.
When Phil Jackson spoke to Jackie MacMullan of ESPN about his future with the Knicks and the NBA landscape as a whole, Jackson buried what has been percieved to be a subtle shot at LeBron James in his statements.
In the Q & A, Phil Jackson told a story of a night in which Miami played the Cavaliers, and LeBron, then a member of the Heat, wanted to spend the night in Cleveland. For context, James wanted to stay an extra night in Cleveland so the Heat could celebrate Thanksgiving at LeBron’s home.
“They don’t do overnights. Teams just don’t. So now (coach Erik) Spoelstra has to text Riley and say, ‘What do I do in this situation?’ And Pat, who has iron-fist rules, answers, ‘You are on the plane, you are with this team,'” Jackson said, recalling the situation. “You can’t hold up the whole team because you and your mom and your posse want to spend an extra night in Cleveland.”
LeBron James and his business manager Maverick Carter fired back at Jackson for his comments but Phil Jackson’s current star forward is confused. Carmelo Anthony wonders why Phil is even talking about LeBron and why he even made this ‘posse’ comments to begin with.
Melo said the following earlier today, according Daniel Popper of the New York Daily News.
“There’s different words that different people use in different ways. To some people, the word ‘posse’ might not mean anything. It might just be a word. To some other people, it could be a derogatory statement. It all depends on who you mention it to, who you’re talking about,” Anthony said. “In this sense, he was talking about five black men. And do I think he meant it in any kind of way? I really don’t know. I don’t think he did. I would hope that he didn’t. Sometimes Phil just say things, and he say the first thing that come to mind. And he’s probably in his office right now regretting it.
“When it comes to Phil, you just never know what’s going to be said, what’s coming out. It depends on who’s listening. People take it the right way or people take it the wrong way. You just never know when it comes to Phil. I just don’t understand him talking about LeBron right now in November. I don’t understand that.”
Anthony perceives the word “posse” as having racial undertones and understands why James, his good friend, would be insulted by the phrasing.
“I would never want to hear that word about people I consider family and people that I’ve come up with and been through thick and thin with,” Anthony said. “I would want to be called a tight-knit group or a family, because that’s what I consider those people.”
“I know him personally,” Anthony said of James. “I know him very well. So for him to say that, whatever he said, whether he lost respect for somebody or not, he really means that. I know him. I don’t think he would just say something. Whatever was said, I’m pretty sure it hit home and he responded to it.”
“I think anybody would understand that. Anybody,” he said. “I don’t think you have to be a rocket scientist or an educated person to understand what that means to us.”
