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Knicks’ Fisher has no interpretation of Jackson’s tweets
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
New York Knicks coach Derek Fisher says he won’t even try to interpret Phil Jackson’s tweets from Sunday night.
Hours after the Knicks were blown out 101-83 by Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Jackson tweeted that the game gave the basketball gods “heartburn.” He ended with the acronym “smh” — meaning “shake my head.”
The Knicks (10-45) have lost seven straight games and have lost the last two games by 24 points to Miami and 18 to Cleveland.
Fisher said Monday he believes his team is “trying and giving effort” — and he did not interpret his boss’ tweets one way or another.
“I’m not really taking those as specific to any particular player, players, persons,” Fisher said when asked Monday about Jackson’s tweets. “Phil is the president of the team. He has his opinions. When you guys see him, you can, I guess, talk to him or ask him exactly what they mean. From my standpoint, I think our guys are trying and giving effort. But it’s a hard game. And we’ve been through a lot, it’s been a tough year.”
Jackson sent these two tweets Sunday night:
“Each NBA game is an opportunity for players to show their ‘best’ nature and please the basketball gods … and those who know what ‘It’ takes.
“Today’s game vs Cavs gave bb gods heartburn and those that know what ‘it’ takes/means a smh.”
Was Jackson directing his comments at the Knicks or two former Knicks — guards J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert — returning to the Garden alongside LeBron James? Smith and Shumpert connected on an alley-oop on Sunday that was celebrated by the former Knicks and James. At that point in the game, the Knicks were down 30 points in the fourth quarter.
For an interpretation, Fisher referred reporters to Jeanie Buss, Lakers president and Jackson’s fiancee.
“You guys should call Jeanie and ask her about that,” Fisher said. “She knows him much better than any of us do. I think Phil, he says things that’s on his mind, sometimes it can be cryptic and there’s a message in it. Sometimes it’s just what he’s saying.
“I think he enjoys how everybody spends all of this time trying to figure it out. May not mean much at all. That’s always been a part of his nature even as a coach. I think as a player, people enjoy the kind of maverick/free spirit side of him. That’s not necessarily going to change just because he’s an executive.”
