LeBron Takes A Shot At Phil Jackson, Browns Organization
The LeBron Pettiness Tour continued over the weekend. On Saturday, after the Cavs win against the Mavericks, LeBron made the comment that Dennis Smith Jr “should be a Knick” right now. That was in regards to the Knicks taking Frank Ntilikina one spot ahead of Smith in the draft. Many speculated that he made that comment to take a shot at former Knicks President, Phil Jackson.
Today, LeBron clarified the comments he made over the weekend and confirmed what others had previously thought. When he was asked if what he said was directed towards Phil Jackson, LeBron responded with, “Oh yeah, it’s definitely a shot at him. That’s for sure.” He also added that he was not “throwing shade at Frank, for people who got their pants in a bunch.”
For those who have forgotten, the LeBron vs. Phil Jackson feud stems from when Jackson referred to LeBron’s business associates as his “posse” in an interview last year.
Ntilikina’s teammate and fellow Knick Enes Kanter stood up for the rookie with this response to LeBron James over the weekend, which he accompanied with a tweet sent out on Sunday.
“I don’t care who, I just cannot let anyone disrespect my family like that, because when I play for an organization, I see my teammates and that organization as like a family,” Kanter told reporters. “And it doesn’t matter if it’s LeBron or whoever it is, I cannot just let him disrespect him like that. The coaches, the GMs, the president, this organization knows what they’re doing. … I mean, come on. That’s a rookie. You cannot just say anything like that about him.
“I don’t care, it doesn’t matter LeBron or whoever it is. I don’t care who. I cannot let anyone disrespect my family like that.”
LeBron responded to Kanter in the same shoot around press conference this morning.
asjklfdajjljdytsdjkl at how disgusted LBJ was when Enes Kanter came up. pic.twitter.com/GYWcdf4MHs
— Dynamics • £ (@theDYNAMICS) November 13, 2017
As if LeBron didn’t stir up enough here, he used the Browns decision to pass on Deshaun Watson as a way to describe his thought process on why he said what he did about Dennis Smith Jr.
“It’s the same if I, I mean, I think DeShaun Watson should be a Brown,” James said of the Houston Texans QB, who was selected at No. 12 with a pick acquired from Cleveland in a trade. He posted 19 touchdowns and eight picks before suffering a season-ending knee injury. “Doesn’t mean that Myles Garrett isn’t going to be a great football player. But Deshaun Watson should’ve been our quarterback. Doesn’t mean you’re s—-ing on the next guy. It’s just that you stating what you see. That’s all that is, for clarification of people who just live in the box.”
All of this is just peak LeBron. Whether you like it or not, he’s always going to say what’s on his mind and will never hold back. If the Cavs had started the season hot and weren’t sitting here at 6-7, I would love this move. But right now, the last thing I think the Cavs need is the already massive target on their backs to get any larger. Especially while they’re still figuring out their identity as a team.
Like I said, though, I guess I can’t really expect LeBron to keep quiet. Plus, he definitely knows more than I do about what this team can and can’t handle right now. I’m just saying comments like these can’t be making their lives any easier.
On a funnier note, the team rode the subway to practice and made this hilarious video.
