Not all NBA reunions receive a happy ending, with the coveted return of Phil Jackson to the New York Knicks serving as a prime example. His homecoming after more than three decades resulted in a series of controversial decisions, leaving a bitter taste in the fanbase’s mouth. The franchise icon, Baron Davis, recently reflected on the miserable times while openly blaming Jackson for their downfall.
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During his latest appearance on 7PM in Brooklyn, the 2x All-Star mentioned, “The Knicks tape was vibe and then Phil Jackson killed that…The Knicks finally had with [Glen] Grunwald and with Woody [Mike Woodson] a dynamic where Woody was like Joe Jackson…but Grunwald allowed for the team to be the team…Now, it’s like the GM [Steve Mills] there every day all in the videos…Came to training camp, I was like, ‘This ain’t gonna work'”.
Davis’ words precisely pointed out the beginning of the rift within the Knicks. Before Jackson’s arrival, the franchise had cemented its status as a rising superpower in the Eastern Conference with a second-seeded finish in the 2012/13 season. So, the players wanted to keep their faith in the dynamics of then-head coach, Mike Woodson, and then-General Manager, Glen Grunwald.
Everything changed drastically when Jackson joined the Knicks as their President in 2014. By this time, Steve Mills had already replaced Grunwald as their new GM. Woodson’s tenure also ended abruptly with Jackson’s long-term trusted knight, Derek Fisher, joining the side as their head coach.
Jackson thought these moves would change the franchise’s trajectory for the better. However, those turned out to be anything but that. As Davis pointed out, the team did not respond well to the sea of changes, hindering the 11x championship-winning head coach’s plans.
A few years later, Jackson eventually admitted his mistakes, while outlining his regret over the consequences.
Phil Jackson wanted to push his boundaries to turn things around
During his 2021 appearance on The Curious Leader, Jackson highlighted the reasons behind his failure. The 78-year-old hinted at how things could have been much different had he not been suffering from the health issues. The Montana-born declared,
“Perhaps the best thing I could’ve done was just coach the team myself. But I wasn’t physically able to do that. I had to convey that through people, I chose to step in. It didn’t seem to work out. And as a consequence, I thought we had the talent but we never found that niche, that ability to just play beyond talent and play concise, connected, organized basketball”.
Jackson certainly failed to come to terms with the eventual outcome. His desire to leave his fingerprints on the entire roster met a tragic ending as he failed to replicate his past success this time around.
That said, this stint took nothing away from the legacy of one of the most iconic NBA figures ever.
