LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes of all time, who has put together a resume in the NBA that few, if any, can compare to. The 21-time All-Star has been the face of the league for over two decades, and still somehow remains a top ten player at age 40.
Along with his four MVPs and four Finals MVPs, James is now the NBA’s all-time leader in points, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s seemingly unbreakable record.
LeBron already had a guaranteed spot in the basketball Hall of Fame over a decade ago, but that hasn’t stopped the small forward from being hit with relentless criticism.
Over the years, James has rarely responded to the endless commentary on his career. However, there was one jab taken by a legendary head coach that really set him off.
Phil Jackson is the most decorated coach in NBA history. The “Zen Master” has won eleven rings from the sidelines and built two iconic dynasties in the 1990s and 2000s.
The Montana native has ultimately never been unafraid to speak his mind, no matter the controversy. And while he was President of Basketball Operations for the New York Knicks, Jackson went off on James, who had just left the Miami Heat to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Basketball Network’s Jonas Panerio revealed the full quote from November 15, 2016, that LeBron did not appreciate.
“When LeBron was playing with the Heat, they went to Cleveland and he wanted to spend the night. 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.’ 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.”
LeBron James responded shortly after to these comments in a Cavaliers post-game press conference. James at first bluntly stated how he had lost all respect for Jackson.
LeBron then went into detail on why these comments came off as racially charged, specifically Jackson’s use of the term “posse” to describe the likes of Rich Paul and Maverick Carter.
Both Paul and Carter are childhood friends of James, who have gone on to become two of the most recognizable businessmen in professional sports.
“I felt like that I wanted to put my guys in a position of power and give those guys an opportunity to better themselves. And you know, in the beginning we were highly criticized and I was highly criticized about what I wanted to do to help some guys around me become very successful in business. “And, you know, it just sucks that now at this point, having one of the biggest businesses that you can have both on and off the floor, having a certified in Rich Paul, having a certified business partner in Maverick Carter that has done so many great businesses, that the title for young African-Americans is the word ‘posse. So, for me, we see the success that we had, but then there’s always someone that lets you know how far we still have to go as African-Americans.”
LeBron James has constantly come to the defense of friends and family
LeBron and Phil Jackson have not made up since, and it looks like they never will. James seems to be completely fine with criticism levied towards him, but he has grown upset numerous times by what he believes to be unfair comments about friends or family.
For example, last season, the L.A. Lakers superstar got into a public confrontation with Stephen A. Smith over the ESPN pundit’s coverage of his son Bronny James Jr..
Overall, LeBron doesn’t have many enemies in the NBA world, especially among the game’s legends. There doesn’t even seem to be any ill will between the Akron native and heated rivals like Paul Pierce or even Lance Stephenson.
But James believes Phil crossed a line with his comments, and Jackson has never apologized since. Therefore, the two parties have reached an unfortunate impasse.
