Michael Graham wants to be very clear: He is not angry at Phil Jackson, who referenced him in a bizarre tweet this week that praised a column written with an anti-Carmelo Anthony tone.
Graham said Jackson’s reference actually was a blessing. It got him media attention again, and he was able to get notice for his non-profit, kid-friendly organization.
Graham, nicknamed “The Enforcer” for his rugged style of play beside Patrick Ewing on Georgetown’s 1984 NCAA title team, played for Jackson in the Continental Basketball Association. He found the current Knicks president “weird” and “cocky” back then. And Graham offered one other point for the 11-time coaching NBA champ.
Those title teams weren’t really Jackson’s teams.
“It’s all good, I wasn’t mad at him,” Graham said regarding Jackson’s Tuesday tweet. “Like I tell people, I think he’s a good coach, but if you think about it, all the teams that he had when he won those 11 championships? He did not put them together. And trust me, he didn’t go to Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan with that crap. He didn’t go to Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant with that crap.
“What he did, he took advantage of the opportunity to coach those guys and win championships. My 2-year-old, she could have coached those teams and won championships.”
Graham repeatedly stressed he did not feel anger, but rather surprise, when a former teammate told him about Jackson’s message on social media, which referenced a Bleacher Report column authored by Kevin Ding that questioned Anthony’s team play, motivation and desire.
Bleacher's Ding almost rings the bell, but I learned you don't change the spot on a leopard with Michael Graham in my CBA daze.
— Phil Jackson (@PhilJackson11) February 7, 2017
Graham explained how his last game with Jackson for the Albany Patroons contained an incident in which he “went ballistic” after Jackson called him out for an on-court mistake. Graham, who is working on his Master’s degree at Georgetown and runs the Bounce Back Legends organization in the DC area to help provide guidance and support for needy kids, soon was traded.
Jackson called him to his hotel room to inform him of the trade. He found the coach with a “pack of Marlboros and a six-pack of Heineken,” and Graham said he knew Jackson was distraught. That figured to be the end of him and Jackson.
Until Tuesday.
“I mean, he was a good guy. But he was a weird guy. He was real weird. I didn’t know where he was coming from half the time. I just wanted to go out there and give him 200 percent,” Graham said.
“Now either he wants to get out of his contract up there or he wants to get rid of Carmelo Anthony. Well, you signed him to the deal. You signed Joakim Noah who plays 14 minutes a game for you. It shows he cannot put together a team. Again, he got the right opportunity at the right time with the Lakers and Bulls. Think about it. That was Doug Collins’ team. If you want to think you’re the greatest, you’ve got to think about it and be realistic.
“So right now he’s having problems putting together a team. Evidently, he wants to run from it or he doesn’t want to deal with it. How can you be in the Mecca of the sports world, New York, and not talk to the media? C’mon, man, they gave Patrick [Ewing] hell up there.
“I don’t have any anger toward Phil. Matter of fact, every championship he won, I was behind him in everything. But I’m just really surprised that came out the way it did. I’m a nobody. I never played in the NBA. I’m sure there are other players that didn’t get his message. Why use me? But basically he did me a favor. I tweeted him and said thank you for the love. Hey, he got me back in the media.”
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