For a moment, move beyond semantics. LeBron James and Stan Van Gundy have done an adequate job handling Phil Jackson's word choice, a word choice far closer to arrogantly dismissive than racially divisive.
Instead, return to the context, of how Jackson, in his current role as New York Knicks (absentee?) president, injected himself into the affairs of another NBA team.
Jackson's comment about the Miami Heat and Pat Riley, as if you could have missed it by now, to ESPN:
"It had to hurt when they lost LeBron. That was definitely a slap in the face. But there were a lot of little things that came out of that. When LeBron was playing with the Heat, they went to Cleveland and he wanted to spend the night. They don't do overnights. Teams just don't. So now (coach Erik) Spoelstra has to text Riley and say, 'What do I do in this situation?' And Pat, who has iron-fist rules, answers, 'You are on the plane, you are with this team.' You can't hold up the whole team because you and your mom and your posse want to spend an extra night in Cleveland.
"I always thought Pat had this really nice vibe with his guys. But something happened there where it broke down. I do know LeBron likes special treatment. He needs things his way."
Except that's not how it played out or how it ever plays out on the road in the NBA. You don't get to the airport and then suddenly deliberate, finding hotel space for an entire travel party (save for weather or mechanical issues). You do, however, as the Heat did during one trip, agree to remain in Cleveland before flying to Toronto and prearrange motor-coach service for the entire team to LeBron's Akron home. And you do, at times, allow players to remain behind on an off-day, as Dwyane Wade did a week ago after his Chicago Bulls played in Miami.
But, again, if that's how the story got back to Jackson or his associates, so be it. And if it's part of a future negative recruiting approach, again, so be it, as well. Business, after all, is business.
Only Riley delivered enough olive branches to LeBron to seed an olive grove. Mike Mancias, LeBron's personal therapist, was hired by the Heat when LeBron signed on in 2010, after previously working with LeBron in Cleveland. Maverick Carter, LeBron's business manager, was granted locker-room and backstage access. And LeBron long-time friend Randy Mims wasn't immediately granted access to team facilities only because Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert initially balked at such permission, with Mims, since hired back by the Cavaliers, eventually granted almost full run on the Heat's basketball operations side.
Yes, lines were drawn, drawn because when LeBron joined the Heat it was with two other playoff-level stars in Wade and Chris Bosh, not what LeBron moved back into with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. There had to be somewhat equivalent respect.
With Posse-Gate somehow becoming the story, the assumption was that Jackson was passing along small talk from Riley.
Understand, while there has been plenty of petty talk over the years between Riley and Jackson, neither have seen the need for small talk. Yes, Riley creates the impression of lording over the franchise, of a strong, definitive leader. But Erik Spoelstra not only has personnel input written into his contract, but also extensive leeway when it comes to travel plans, accommodations and latitude granted to players.
Was there special treatment for LeBron? Of course, and deserved, as the best player in the game. Jackson's "iron fist" portrayal of Riley simply is dated, assumptions from a previous era. Because what Riley previously demanded no longer is practical. Riley knows that. Spoelstra knows that. And one would think that Jackson knows that.
Did Riley's "vibe" break down with LeBron? Possibly, but LeBron also saw a roster about to potentially break down, with more attractive long-term options in Cleveland.
And yet, in recent years, Riley got to the table with LaMarcus Aldridge in 2015 free agency even without sufficient funds to close a deal, then made the (non-Knicks) final cut this past summer with Kevin Durant, a pitch in the Knicks' backyard in the Hamptons.
Or you could instead choose to be dismissive, which, in this case, appears to be a trend.
