Scottie Pippen stirred up something of a firestorm recently when he accused his old head coach, Phil Jackson, of being a racist.
Pippen’s comments came in response to a question about a 1994 playoff game against the New York Knicks during which Jackson drew up a play for Toni Kukoc instead of him. Pippen refused to enter the game as a result.
“By saying it was a racial move then you’re calling Phil Jackson a racist…” radio host Dan Patrick said to Pippen during an interview this week.
“I don’t have a problem with that,” Pippen replied.
“Do you think Phil was?” Patrick followed up.
“Oh yeah,” Pippen said.
On Wednesday, NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal entered the debate. He had extensive experience playing under Jackson when they won three titles together on the Los Angeles Lakers.
“I don’t want to get involved in other people’s beef, but Phil is definitely not a racist,” O’Neal said, via FanSided. "He’s coming out with a new drink and a new book. Maybe this is all marketing.”
O’Neal is probably right, and his thoughtful analysis here is an example of how hit-or-miss he can be with his commentary. Sometimes he is great, other times – not so much.
That being said, it’s hard to argue with O’Neal’s assessment of this particular situation.
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