LeBron James and his inner circle are accusing one of the NBA’s all-time greatest coaches of using coded language to demean young black men.
New York Knicks president Phil Jackson no longer has the “respect” of “King James” after critiquing the Cleveland Cavaliers star during an ESPN interview Monday. Mr. Jackson — whose coaching skills helped put multiple NBA Championship rings on Michael Jordan’s and Kobe Bryant’s fingers — said Mr. James’ need for “special treatment” may have caused a fallout with the Miami Heat.
“[Pat Riley’s teams] 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,’” Mr. Jackson said of the team’s stops in Cleveland. “You can’t hold up the whole team because you and your mom and your posse want to spend an extra night in Cleveland. […] I do know LeBron likes special treatment. He needs things his way.”
Mr. James, a three-time NBA champion, responded on Tuesday by saying the word ’posse’ should not be used to describe his family.
“To use that label, and if you go and read the definition of that the word ’posse’ is, it’s not what I’ve built over my career,” Mr. James told ESPN. “I believe the only reason he used that word is because it’s young African-Americans trying to make a difference.”
The NBA star also stressed with a reporter afterward that he “had” respect for Mr. Jackson until this week.
“Had respect?” ESPN’s Dave McMenamin asked Tuesday.
“Yeah,” Mr. James responded.
Maverick Carter, the star’s childhood friend and business partner, then echoed the player’s accusations.
“If he would have said LeBron and his agent, LeBron and his business partners or LeBron and his friends, that’s one thing,” Mr. Carter said Tuesday. “Yet because you’re young and black he can use that word. We’re grown men.”
“Let me be clear I’m not saying @PhilJackson11 is racist. I’m calling out his disrespectful language,” Mr. Carter added on Twitter.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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