Updated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
Coaches and players whining about the referees has been a staple in the NBA Playoffs. A tradition unlike any other, if you will. Nobody does it better (or worse) than Phil Jackson, and before the playoffs, he was at it again, claiming Kevin Durant gets "superstar" calls. (Psssttt, Phil, it's because he is a superstar!).
But it's 2010, and commissioner David Stern has decided the buck stops here. Stern fined Jackson $35,000 for his comments, and Jackson wasn't amused, getting his revenge on Stern when Stern showed up for last night's Game 3 of the Lakers-Thunder series.
Phil Jackson and NBA commissioner David Stern crossed paths in a hallway two hours before the Lakers-Thunder game Thursday night.
Stern approached Jackson and extended his hand. Jackson withheld his hand, albeit with a smile, and told the commissioner: "I don't know, man. I'm not so happy with you."
Jackson eventually relented and shook hands with Stern, who said: "I'm happy with you."
So Jackson responded to Stern's harsh response to Jackson's mind games with Kevin Durant by ... playing mind games with Stern. That Phil Jackson, he's crafty.
More spin!
"I wasn't aware that the rules have changed, but they tell me that last year they stopped letting coaches spin. You have to be very honest and straightforward and never have any spin with what you say. I think we can get to be robotic like that."
Heh, lemme accuse Stern of making his coaches robotic! That'll show him!
Unfortunately for Jackson, Stern isn't playing around. When told that Jackson wasn't happy with his fine, Stern said that coaches should "be quiet," and if they can't, they should find a different line of work. Stern concluded with his own one-liner, saying, "I don't mean to be too subtle."
Point taken, commish. Here's hoping Jackson goes deeper into his bag of zen to get himself out of this.
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