It's no secret that columnist Charley Rosen has been the external mouthpiece for Phil Jackson over the years through his columns, and things are no different now.
According to Rosen, the firing of Jackson as the New York Knicks‘ President of Basketball Operations position was not the fault of his own.
Rosen took sharp jabs at members of the Knicks roster starting with the star player whom Jackson had been in dispute with — Carmelo Anthony.
Not only did he also direct his blunt attacks at the player he drafted, Kristaps Porzingis, but also sent direct jabs at former members of the team as well in his Fanrag Sports column.
Rosen On Anthony:
His sticky fingers destroyed any offensive cohesion. He saved steps on defense and was always a malcontent. Trading him would have been (and still is) best for him and for the organization.
Yet because of the media’s bias, Melo was always portrayed as a victim and Jackson the victimizer. The first part of this scenario lasted until Anthony’s allegedly adulterous affair became public knowledge.
Rosen on Porzingis whom Jackson drafted and fans loved:
True, because of Melo and Rose, K.P. didn’t get enough shots. However, he was also unduly influenced by Anthony’s private complaining, so much so that he became disrespectful to several members of the coaching staff.
Anyway, with Porzingis acting like a prima donna, and with his guaranteed tenure in New York limited to the next two seasons, how risky would it be to make him the focus of the offense?
Rosen on J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert:
Smith was unreliable, Shumpert was loud, boisterous, annoying presence in the locker room.
Rosen on Tim Hardaway Jr.:
Selfish, defenseless, and incredibly immature
On Derrick Rose:
His positives failed to outweigh his negatives.
On Joakim Noah:
Noah was still a tough and savvy defender and arguably the best passing big in the league. Noah also wasn't in game shape when he arrived in training camp.
While Rosen claims he never had a conversation with Jackson about any of this, he also paid tribute to Jackson after the vicious parting shots as if nothing happened.
Jackson should be remembered not only for his rings, but for his honesty, loyalty, willingness to take risks, and above all for being, to all who know him well, a championship-caliber human being.
It's hard to see Jackson working in the NBA anytime soon, maybe not ever.
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