New York Knicks president Phil Jackson created quite a firestorm when he referred to LeBron James and his friends/business partners as a “posse.” LeBron James put his childhood friends on and they became extremely successful businessman, so they took offense to the word and the racial undertones it carries. Carmelo Anthony is the Knicks star player but he’s also a very close friend of LeBron; they form “The Brotherhood” with Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade. Anthony sided with his friend, saying Jackson might not have meant any harm by the word, but it shouldn’t have been said.
“There’s different words that different people use in different ways. To some people, the word ‘posse’ might not mean anything. It might just be a word. To some other people, it could be a derogatory statement. It all depends on who you mention it to, who you’re talking about,” Anthony said. “In this sense, he was talking about five black men. And do I think he meant it in any kind of way? I really don’t know. I don’t think he did. I would hope that he didn’t. Sometimes Phil just say things, and he say the first thing that come to mind. And he’s probably in his office right now regretting it.
“When it comes to Phil, you just never know what’s going to be said, what’s coming out. It depends on who’s listening. People take it the right way or people take it the wrong way. You just never know when it comes to Phil. I just don’t understand him talking about LeBron right now in November. I don’t understand that.”
“I would never want to hear that word about people I consider family and people that I’ve come up with and been through thick and thin with,” Anthony said. “I would want to be called a tight-knit group or a family, because that’s what I consider those people.”
“I know him personally,” Anthony said of James. “I know him very well. So for him to say that, whatever he said, whether he lost respect for somebody or not, he really means that. I know him. I don’t think he would just say something. Whatever was said, I’m pretty sure it hit home and he responded to it.”
source: New York Daily News
