I'm not speaking about what he said specifically about Kobe, but he stated in a media interview that when he complained to the official about Byrant's elbows, Phil Jackson said, "You f***in' deserved it." Is there a reason nobody's addressed this? Maybe I'm naive, but wouldn't that be considered an outwardly anatagonistic and unprofessional thing for a coach to do?
Someone has to have the balls to make a statement to straighten this kid Raja out. If it takes a respectable coach with more rings than that kid has fingers, so be it.
This was what Bell said happened before the flagrant, and was what he suggested spurred him on. I don't see how Jackson would have any excuse to say something like that to that point, since as of then Bell had been playing a fairly consistant and workmanship game against Bryant. I guess ultimately, I don't feel like a man in Phil Jackson's position should conduct himself that way. Whether or not he has more championships than so and so is irrelevant. Bringing the people's relative worth to their teams into it is essentially saying that since Jackson's won rings, he can say whatever he pleases. To be honest, I do think this is a big deal, because it alludes to something that I suspect for all my years of watching Phil Jackson coach. People talk about his zen principles and so forth, but the sorts of mind games he tries to work with his players, officials, and in this case, Raja Bell, are underhanded and unpleasant. I think it's a huge logical fallacy in this argument to even mention that Kobe Bryant is a better ball players than Raja Bell, because that isn't the point. The point is that Bell reacted in a way that, given a look at his past history, seems completely out of context unless he was goaded into it. If Kobe Byrant had said he had "no respect" for Mike Miller after elbowing his gullet, and Mike Miller has come back and said that Bryant "didn't get enough hugs as a kid," people would still be defending Bryant over Miller, as they have in the reverse situation over Bell, because people's opinions are swayed by the successes of their idols. It's corrupted.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Someone has to have the balls to make a statement to straighten this kid Raja out. If it takes a respectable coach with more rings than that kid has fingers, so be it.</div> Kid? Raja is 29 years old, far from being a "kid". Raja has ten fingers (I would think), and Phil Jackson has nine. At least make better insults.
Phil Jackson adressed this yesterday in an interview. He said Raja Bell was complaining about Kobe's elbows. Phil Jackson said that's what he gets for leaning into them and not giving the offensive player room to operate. After Raja Bell fouled Kobe, he yelled out to PJax, "that foul was for you."
Even if we assume that that is what happened and that he didn't swear at Bell, that's still Jackson provoking the situation. A coach can talk with the ref, and the player can talk with the ref, but an opposing coach jawing with a player during a game is, to my mind, indefensible.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting shapecity:</div><div class="quote_post">Phil Jackson adressed this yesterday in an interview. He said Raja Bell was complaining about Kobe's elbows. Phil Jackson said that's what he gets for leaning into them and not giving the offensive player room to operate. After Raja Bell fouled Kobe, he yelled out to PJax, "that foul was for you."</div> Well there's a big difference between saying "That's what you get for leaning in and not giving Kobe to operate" and "You f****n' deserved it." If he said the latter, like Bell claims, then it was much too vague and Phil should have known better. He'd be partly responsible for the whole incident.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AznxBaller:</div><div class="quote_post">Kid? Raja is 29 years old, far from being a "kid". Raja has ten fingers (I would think), and Phil Jackson has nine. At least make better insults.</div> omg.. why are you trying to pick out little mistakes.. he doesnt specifically mean that jackson has 11 rings.. the point he is trying to make is that jackson has a lot of rings.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AznxBaller:</div><div class="quote_post">Kid? Raja is 29 years old, far from being a "kid". Raja has ten fingers (I would think), and Phil Jackson has nine. At least make better insults.</div> Last I checked Raja has 8 fingers and 2 thumbs.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Lostmyluggage:</div><div class="quote_post">Last I checked Raja has 8 fingers and 2 thumbs.</div> Oh, you're one of those people. Human beings have ten fingers, two of which are thumbs.
why are we talking about fingers? lostmyluggage is just making stupid points. casske is right and I don't blame bell for his actions. the suns needed to be more physical and now the lakers are reeling a bit. it makes for an interesting game seven.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> omg.. why are you trying to pick out little mistakes.. he doesnt specifically mean that jackson has 11 rings.. the point he is trying to make is that jackson has a lot of rings.</div> I know, I was just trying to be difficult. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> Last I checked Raja has 8 fingers and 2 thumbs.</div> Last time I checked, eight is equal to eight. Anyway, I agree with Chutney, I didn't really see the interview or whatever, but if Phil Jackson did say "You effin deserved it", its really out of line. From what I saw though, Bell was getting a lot of elbows, and it was probably just a mental lapse on his part.
Hasn`t Raja had a past of being a bit like an A-Hole to his teammates. Despite my liking for Kobe, I can see him as like a little bit egotistical.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Dan50:</div><div class="quote_post">hard worker , a pest on defence. Kobe has some dirty tricks so you never know.</div>I think the same, and I though that he was a quiet man before that, so I think Kobe touched Raja with his elbows many time.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Flow:</div><div class="quote_post">I think the same, and I though that he was a quiet man before that, so I think Kobe touched Raja with his elbows many time.</div> That was actually the most frustrating part about the suns/lakers series. The suns are not a thug team. They play fast, they play clean. Not really a lot of drama, not a lot of players with a history of problems. But the lakers managed to drag them down to their level. I just hope non-suns fans don't think that's what the team is normally like. On the other hand, there are only so many flagrant fouls and elbows you can put up with before you have to do or say something. I'm honestly just glad it's over and hope to get back to some actual basketball.
