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Has Phil Jackson already outstayed his welcome with the New York Knicks? It is getting pretty close. “The Zen Master” has been full of words concerning what is wrong about the NBA during his time with the Knicks and is lacking in results. The team went 17-65 last season and still missed out on the top overall pick in this summer’s draft.
His recent thoughts about LeBron James and traveling violations are quite hypocritical when you consider that Jackson coached Michael Jordan, one of the league’s guiltiest former travelers.
“I watch LeBron James, for example,” Jackson said to Bleacher Report. “He might [travel] every other time he catches the basketball if he’s off the ball. He catches the ball, moves both his feet. You see it happen all the time. There’s no structure, there’s no discipline, there’s no ‘How do we play this game’ type of attitude. And it goes all the way through the game. To the point where now guys don’t screen—they push guys off with their hands.”
This just feels like sour grapes, especially considering the source has a pretty fair number of championships. That last comment about physicality is definitely uncalled for from a guy who has a few rings because of Shaquille O’Neal’s physical play against undersized opponents. Jackson is quickly becoming the NBA’s old man telling kids to get off his lawn, and it is not a great look for the coach who was once so revered.
If Jackson is so certain he knows how the game should be played and refereed, then he must return to the floor as a head coach and prove it. We can all see that he is not cut out to be president of the Knicks when we look at his track record so far, and Steve Kerr definitely made the right decision to pick the Golden State Warriors over working for his old coach. Let’s just hope that Jackson does us all a favor and keeps his mouth shut until the Knicks achieve absolutely anything during his tenure.
Dave Daniels is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter: @AllDave_AllDay, like him on Facebook here or add him to your network on Google.
