Phil Jackson is one of the most legendary coaches to ever pick up a clipboard in the NBA, with many arguing he may be the greatest coach in league history.
The architect behind Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O’Neal‘s golden years has revealed he no longer watches basketball due to the political nature of modern NBA broadcasts, starting with the 2020 Orlando Bubble.
“I am not enjoying the game, that’s too bad. There’s a whole generation that doesn’t like the game. No, I don’t (watch basketball). I watched the game evolve and then they went into the lockout year and did something that was kind wanky, they did a bubble down in Orlando. All the teams that could qualify went down there and stayed down there, no audience, and they have things on their back like ‘Justice’ and a funny thing happened like ‘Justice went to the basket and Equal Opportunity knocked him down’… Some of my grandkids thought it was pretty funny to play up those names, I couldn’t watch that. The Lakers won that year… They even had slogans on the floor and the baseline. It was trying to cater to an audience or trying to bring a certain audience to the game and they didn’t know it was turning other people off. People want to see sports as non-political… Politics stays out of the game, it doesn’t need to be there.”
Phil Jackson says he doesn’t like basketball’s evolution & doesn’t watch anymore, thought the Bubble & political slogans on jerseys was “wanky” and made fun of it with his grandchildren
was listening to his new interview with Rick Rubin & thought it was interesting. pic.twitter.com/FVBpdnuCFj
— Clique Productions (@ImClique_) April 20, 2023
Phil Jackson is a basketball genius, and his trophy cabinet reflects his status as the most decorated coach in NBA history.
He has coached 11 NBA title-winning teams across stints with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, three-peating thrice, two times with the Bulls (1991 to 93; 1996 to 98) and one time with the Lakers (2000-2002).
Is The Modern NBA Too Political?
The political awakening of NBA stars and the organization itself has led to moves many consider to be socially progressive, which irks many fans that want to separate sports from politics. The players live under socio-political realities that directly impact their status in society, so it’s hard to ask them to ‘shut up and dribble,’ a sentiment that many athletes now find offensive.
This new-political outlook to many of their initiatives, especially the 2020 Bubble, has had mixed results. Even though they’re taking a voice against issues that directly impact their lives, they are silenced on many issues that may ultimately hamper their earning potential. We have seen examples of this with regard to criticisms of Nike and China that have created turmoil that players cannot comment on.
Everything is political nowadays, even the NBA. It’s hard to keep these aspects separated when there are real humans involved in the game. They have a platform, and we are going to see more and more players try and use their voice to affect positive change.
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