LeBron James is not a fan of Phil Jackson. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise to NBA fans that James was recently “trolling” Jackson with comments about the 2017 NBA Draft. It was back on Saturday (Nov. 11) when James stated that the Knicks “passed on a really good one” by selecting Frank Ntilikina in the draft. He was referring to Dennis Smith Jr., who was taken by the Dallas Mavericks with the very next pick.

At first, the comments were viewed as James speaking badly of Ntilikina, who is seen as a “project” and isn’t quite ready to lead an NBA team.

James clarified the statements on Monday (Nov. 13), stating that he wasn’t “throwing shade at Frank at all.” James went on to state that this was definitely a shot at Jackson, who he has been publicly feuding with for more than a year. The clarification was necessary because Ntilkina's teammates had come to his defense on social media.

The James and Jackson feud

As a report by Dave McMenamin at ESPN goes on to state, Phil Jackson gave an interview where he called the people working with LeBron James a “posse” last year. This did not sit well with James, who saw it as an insult. It led to a lot of debate among fans on social media and analysts on sports shows about Jackson’s poor choice of words.

James seems to still hold a grudge.

So far in his rookie season with the Dallas Mavericks, Dennis Smith Jr. has started all 12 games that he has played in. In 28.8 minutes of playing time a night, Smith is averaging 14.8 points, 4.9 assists, and 3.8 rebounds. Those are stellar statistics that could certainly make any team envious that may have passed on him in the 2017 NBA Draft.

More NBA news about rookies

The NBA is packed with rookies who continue to make headlines around the league. One such rookie is Lonzo Ball of the Los Angeles Lakers. Ball’s early-season struggles have been talked about in depth by every basketball analyst getting TV time this fall. A lot of buzz has surrounded Ball and that will only increase after the triple-double he just posted the other night.

Can he live up to all the hype though?

Markelle Fultz, who was the first overall selection in the draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, is dealing with some severe shoulder issues. He only played in four games before the team decided it was time to give him some rest. Now the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft is out indefinitely, putting the 76ers in a difficult position moving forward. Heading into the games on Monday (Nov. 13), the team has a 6-6 record.
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