During his tenure as team president, Phil Jackson became the most polarizing figure in New York sports. He landed three franchise cornerstones in Willy Hernangomez, Frank Ntilikina, and Kristaps Porzingis, and alienated both fans and players alike.
Whether it was an example of The Zen Master at work or an honest response, few comments had a more lasting impact than his evaluation of Porzingis’ readiness for a No. 1 role.
For those who missed it, Jackson controversially stated that he didn’t believe Porzingis was ready to become New York’s featured scoring option. He cited Porzingis’ age and inexperience as reasons, albeit while praising the young phenom’s competitive nature.