Phil Jackson's views show he is exactly who we thought he was

Jackson said last week that he has lost interest in the NBA because it’s too 'political'. He seemed particularly irritated by the league’s support of the Black Lives Matter movement

MAKING HIS POINT: Phil Jackson during his time in charge of the Los Angeles Lakers in 2010. Pic: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

I remember the NBA labor negotiations of 2005, during which I was on the players’ union executive committee. The talks took place in the aftermath of the Malice at the Palace, and commissioner David Stern and the league were in full crisis mode. They wanted to introduce a dress code, a much-maligned policy whose tacit aim was to make Black players less threatening to the white season-ticket holders and TV viewers who drove much of the league’s revenue.

I had worn my clothes baggy since high school. That was just my style. Phil Jackson, who had won six titles with Michael Jordan as head coach of the Chicago Bulls and three more with the Los Angeles Lakers, had a different opinion though.