Former NBA coach and player Phil Jackson says the league has gotten so political that he doesn’t watch it anymore.
Appearing on the “Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin” podcast, Jackson said since 2020, the league began catering to a “certain audience” in an attempt to bring them in, but in the process, began alienating many longtime NBA fans. The former Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers coach called for professional basketball to be non-political, criticizing the NBA for social justice slogans that have been displayed on the court and jerseys.
“I am not enjoying the game,” Jackson said. “That’s too bad. There’s a whole generation that doesn’t like the game.”
Jackson, 77, said that the politicization of the NBA became too much as the league reacted to social unrest that followed the death of George Floyd while in police custody. During this time, which coincided with the pandemic and peak of government-mandated lockdowns, the league transitioned to a “bubble” where players, coaches, media, and other staff all traveled to Orlando in an attempt to protect themselves from COVID while being able to continue their season.
“All the teams that could qualify went down there and stayed…
