Fansided

Phil Jackson takes shot at Duke Basketball

By Matt Verderame

Jan 10, 2015; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks president Phil Jackson addresses the media before the start of game against the Charlotte Hornets at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 10, 2015; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks president Phil Jackson addresses the media before the start of game against the Charlotte Hornets at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports /
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New York Knicks president and general manager Phil Jackson has been in the news recently. Jackson had plenty to say about swingman J.R. Smith earlier in the week, calling him sensitive among other things. In the same interview with Charley Rose that is being posted on ESPN, Jackson took another interesting swipe at perhaps the best college basketball program in the country, per FOX Sports.

"At best, the Knicks would get the first pick and tab center Jahlil Okafor, although Jackson thinks he might not be aggressive enough. “Also, if you look at the guys who came to the NBA from Duke, aside from Grant Hill, which ones lived up to expectations?”"

Clearly, Jackson was not trying to say that Duke does not produce any decent players, but he is proclaiming that the Blue Devils have given the NBA a litany of busts in comparison to their hype. Outside of the aforementioned Grant Hill, Duke has churned out some pretty notable players in the last 20 years including Kyrie Irving, Elton Brand, Shane Battier, J.J. Redick, Mike Dunleavy, Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer.

While the Blue Devils have had their fair share of disappointments as well, there have been a litany of success stories. Jackson knows plenty about finding talent, so maybe he will be right to have no interest in Okafor or, apparently, Justise Winslow. Then again, this is the Knicks, so both will probably turn in Hall-of-Fame players while New York chills out in the NBA Draft Lottery every season.

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