NBA Hall of Fame inductee Scottie Pippen accused his former coach, Phil Jackson, of being racist as Pippen doubles down on earlier comments regarding an incident that occurred in the 1994 playoffs.

Pippen was on the Dan Patrick Show when he addressed comments he previously made in an interview with GQ about a playoff game in 1994 between the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks.

Pippen famously refused to return to the game with the score tied at 102 and 1.8 seconds left in the game. Pippen was frustrated with Jackson’s decision to draw up a play to give the final shot of the game to a rookie, Toni Kukoč, who ended up scoring the game-winner.

“I felt like it was an opportunity to give (Kukoč) a rise,” Pippen told GQ. “It was a racial move to give him a rise. After all I’ve been through with this organization, now you’re gonna tell me to take the ball out and throw it to Toni Kukoč? You’re insulting me.”

In his interview on the Dan Patrick Show, Pippen made it clear that his opinion has not changed. “Why would Toni, who’s a rookie, get the last-second shot and you put me out of bounds? That’s what I mean racial,” Pippen said.

Dan Patrick proceeded to ask Pippen if he thinks Jackson was a racist, to clarify his thoughts on the perceived racist intent.

“Oh, yeah,” Pippen said. “Do you remember Phil Jackson left the Lakers, went and wrote a book on Kobe Bryant, and then came back and coached him? I mean, who would do that? You name someone in professional sports that would do that.”

“And you’re Jackson, who sits in the locker room and tells the players ‘this is a circle, and everything stays within the circle because that’s what team is about.’ But you as a head coach open it up and now you go out and try to belittle—at that time probably one of the greatest players in the game.”

Pippen was referring to The Last Season, a book published in 2004 after Jackson left the Lakers after winning three championships alongside Kobe Bryant. The book focused on the locker room tension and was critical of Bryant.

Jackson would return to the Lakers and end up winning two more championships with Bryant.

The New York Knicks announced Wednesday morning that the team and president Phil Jackson have mutually agreed to separate after three years.

Phil Jackson Had Been The Knicks President For Three Years

Jackson was notified of the team’s decision on Tuesday.

“After careful thought and consideration, we mutually agreed that the Knicks will be going in a different direction,” said Knicks owner and executive chairman James Dolan. “Phil Jackson is one of the most celebrated and successful individuals in the history of the NBA. His legacy in the game of basketball is unmatched. We wish him the best and thank him for his service to the Knicks as both a player and an executive.”

The Knicks have struggled under Jackson’s leadership, posting an 80-66 combined record in the last three seasons for one of the worst in the NBA. The team did not make the playoffs in any of those three years. For this reason, the general consensus among both Knicks fans and NBA pundits on Twitter early Wednesday seemed to be that feelings of elation were appropriate.

Here are the hilarious reactions of rejoicing Knicks fans and others from the basketball world:

Jackson previously won 11 league championships as a coach for the Chicago Bulls (1987-1998) and Los Angeles Lakers (1999-2004, 2005-2011). The 71-year-old executive had two years and $24 million left on his contract with the Knicks, for whom he played as a power forward from 1967 to 1978.

NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 12: Basketball coach Phil Jackson speak on stage at Phil Jackson in Conversation with Ben McGrath at the MasterCard stage at SVA Theatre during The New Yorker Festival 2014 on October 12, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images for The New Yorker Festival)

Phil Jackson said in a press conference Friday that he believes Carmelo Anthony would be “better off somewhere else,” a statement which will surely lead many people to wonder whether the New York Knicks will trade their star forward.

Phil Jackson on Carmelo Anthony: ‘He Would Be Better off Somewhere Else’

The Knicks president addressed reporters at the team’s training center in Greenburgh, New York on Friday after giving exit interviews with his players, including Anthony, who has yet to decide whether to waive the no-trade clause of his contract during the off-season.

Like Jackson, Anthony — a 14-year NBA veteran and former No. 3 overall pick who will be 33 in May — has two years remaining on his five-year, $60 million deal.

Anthony, a former Denver Nuggets star, has played with the Knicks since 2011. The forward stated he wanted to hear what Jackson had to say before making any decision regarding his future.

“We faced resistance and we faced resistance at the top,” said Jackson, who has compiled an 80-166 record in three seasons as the Knicks’ president.

The Knicks are coming off yet another disappointing season, finishing 31-51 and 12th in the Eastern Conference to miss the 2017 playoffs. New York defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 114-113 in their season finale on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. Before that, the Knicks had lost three straight games and eight of 11.

New York’s team also suffered a series of other problems this season, both on and off the court: former Knicks star Charles Oakley was arrested following a court-side altercation — which began after Oakley attempted to get close to owner James Dolan to speak with him — the team lost two off-season signings, Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, to season-ending injuries, and Jackson used Twitter to criticize Anthony.

Jackson added that Anthony has “carried the basic load for this team.”

Before Friday, Jackson hadn’t spoken to local reporters who typically cover the Knicks in over six months.

“We’ve not been able to win with him on the court at this time and the direction of our team is that he is a player that would be better somewhere else, and using his talents somewhere else where he can win and chase that championship,” said Jackson of Anthony on Friday. “Right now, we need players that are really active, can play defensively and offensively. I told him this is not a situation where we’re going to dump you or anything like that. But we’re looking to improve ourselves however we can.”

The Knicks president insisted that his tweets and comments in general about Anthony were not intended as condemnations, but rather as simple coaching advice designed to help his players improve. In one interview this season, for instance, Jackson pointed to Anthony’s ball-stopping tendency and called it a hindrance to proper offensive performance.

“Holding the ball is not a criticism, that’s a fact,” he said. “A person has to be able to take that if they’re going to be coached, if they’re going to be part of the organization.”

Jackson also noted the fact that the Knicks lacked an “identity” as a problem this past season, perhaps referring to the absence of a characteristic that makes the Knicks unique compared to other NBA teams.

“That’s not a concern of mine,” he said. “What Jim Dolan and I talked about originally was trying to develop a process where we were developing players and had an identity. That’s one of the things that bothered us this year, was that we didn’t have an identity. It’s basically about ball movement, body movement, a style of play, all part of what we’re trying to do.

New York Knicks president Phil Jackson landed himself in hot water this week when, in a Q&A with ESPN.com, he referred to LeBron James’ business associates as his ‘posse.’

Carmelo Anthony Responds To Phil Jackson Calling LeBron James’s Business Partners A ‘Posse’

On Tuesday, James responded by saying Jackson doesn’t owe him any apologies.

“For what? He don’t owe (anything). I don’t know that man,” James said to cleveland.com.

Here is what Jackson was discussing in his interview. He originally used the word ‘posse’ in his 2004 book The Last Season, in which he wrote, among other things, about James’ rookie season in the NBA.

James’ business partner and lifelong friend, Maverick Carter, tweeted “All the hard work,effort and achievement and @PhilJackson11 still calls us a ‘posse’ every step you take they remind you, you ghetto.” He followed that up by tweeting, “Let me be clear I’m not saying @PhilJackson11 is racist, I’m calling out his disrespectful language.”

Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony, who has long been a friend of James since the two joined the NBA in 2003, also weighed in on Jackson’s comments, expressing his disappointment with the remarks, which some seem to have perceived as racist.

“I would never want to hear that word about me and my, I don’t want to say crew, but people that I consider family or people that I come up, been through thick and thin with,” Anthony said. “I’d want to be called a tight-knit group or family. That’s what I consider those close people to me.

Anthony continued: “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 and who you’re talking about in essence. In this sense he was talking about four, five black man. 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 says the first thing that comes to mind. Probably he’s in his office right now regretting it. With Phil you never know what’s going to be said, what’s coming.”

James and Anthony have competed together at the international level and won Olympic gold medals.

James won two titles with the Miami Heat while playing under Pat Riley, Jackson’s long-time rival. When asked if he had a relationship with Jackson, James reiterated: “Zero. No relationship at all,” James said. “I had nothing but respect for him as a coach, for what he was able to do obviously at the helm of my favorite player of all-time in (Michael Jordan) and also growing up watching the Lakers, but I’ve got nothing for him.”

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 09: Carmelo Anthony #7 of the New York Knicks drives into the lane against the Brooklyn Nets during the second half at Madison Square Garden on November 9, 2016 in New York City.

It is far from official, but according to several reports, the New York Knicks are nearing an agreement with free agent center Joakim Noah with terms in the neighborhood of $72 million on a four-year deal.

And with that, in a week’s span, much-maligned Knicks President Phil Jackson has turned New York from Atlantic Division doormat to legitimate playoff contender.

OPINION: With Noah Signing Knicks Earn Shot To Dethrone King James

While no deal can be made official until the NBA moratorium period closes July 7, reports have been circulating for weeks that Noah was looking to return home.

Now New York is staring at the possibility of a front line that features Noah, Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis.

JOAKIM NOAH CAREER MIX

Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are the defending champs, but the only other threat in the Cavs frontcourt is Tristan Thompson. Cleveland’s center is a pro, who seems to shine in the postseason, but his numbers are no better than Noah’s for their respective careers.

I don’t want to hear about Kevin Love.

I respect the defense he played on Steph Curry in Game 7 and he was effective in areas that didn’t show up in the boxscore, but I would take Porzingis over Love any day of the week.

James obviously takes Anthony, but Melo can score with anyone. And Thompson vs. Noah is a wash.

Derrick Rose versus Kyrie Irving?

The book is still out on Rose as far as his health and agility are concerned, but it’s safe to say he will be a productive player with superstar talent around him.

Noah, too, should return to form upon reuniting with Rose. The pair made the playoffs five years in a row in Chicago and in Rose’s MVP season of 2010-2011, Noah put together one of the best campaigns of his career, averaging 11.7 points and 10.4 rebounds.

ROSE SAYS HE WANTS NOAH AND EVERYBODY KNOWS IT

Since, it hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows for the big fella.

His last two seasons have been marred by injury and poor play, but a return to his place of birth could be just what the doctor ordered.

The near 7-footer was born in New York City, then moved to Paris for an extended period, before returning to the city that never sleeps at the age of 13.

Noah spent a post-graduate year in New Jersey at the Lawrenceville School where he was ranked a 4-star recruit by rivals.com. He played college ball at Florida, where he won two national championships under current Oklahoma City Thunder coach Billy Donovan, leading the Chicago Bulls to select Noah as the ninth overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.

From 2009-2011 and 2012-2014, Noah averaged a double-double for the Bulls. In the 2011-2012 season he scored 10.2 points and pulled down 9.8 rebounds per game.

Last season was a forgettable one for Noah. He played in just 29 games dues to injury and ineffectiveness, starting only two contests.

Not so coincidentally, his best performance came on what could be his home floor, in his hometown.

Noah lit up the Garden with 21 points and 10 rebounds in his first start of the season Dec. 19. Six of Noah’s boards came on the offensive glass, making him the Bulls All-Time Leader in offensive rebounds, surpassing Horace Grant.

And nine months earlier Noah recorded his fifth career triple-double with 13 points 14 assists and 12 rebounds against, you guessed it, the New York Knickerbockers.

NOAH RIPS KNICKS FOR 21 POINTS AND 10 REBOUNDS

Noah is not Kevin Durant. He won’t showcase the athleticism of a DeMar DeRozan and he doesn’t have the youth of an Andre Drummond either, but he is a good fit for the Knicks roster as its currently constituted.

His presence alongside Anthony and K-stop will reignite the fire at MSG, the electricity we only see when New York is a winning games.

Lookout Eastern Conference, there’s a new frontcourt in town.

One that may have fans whispering next season: Noah, Porzingis and Melo, Oh my!

Phil Jackson talked about his short retirement, basketball in New York, his critics and, most importantly, the state of the NBA, in an interview with Bleacher Report.

Phil Jackson Criticizes Modern Basketball

“The game actually has some beauty to it, and we’ve kind of taken some of that out of it to make it individualized,” Jackson said. “It’s a lot of who we are as a country, individualized stuff.”

“When I watch some of these playoff games, and I look at what’s being run out there, as what people call an offense, it’s really quite remarkable to see how far our game has fallen from a team game. Four guys stand around watching one guy dribble a basketball.”

Phil Jackson Criticizes LeBron James

“I watch LeBron James, for example,” Jackson continued. “He might [travel] every other time he catches the basketball if he’s off the ball. He catches the ball, moves both his feet. You see it happen all the time. There’s no structure, there’s no discipline, there’s no ‘How do we play this game’ type of attitude. And it goes all the way through the game. To the point where now guys don’t screen — they push guys off with their hands.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk-8dQ1qFpQ

It is fairly easy to blow this article way out of proportion, especially with his singling out of LeBron James. Still, in one way Jackson has a point: the game largely has gotten away from team play, focusing on players shooting the ball 30-35 times a game. At the same time, the last two champions epitomize what Jackson yearns for. Both the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors have key players, but play fundamental team basketball thanks to strong coaching by Steve Kerr and Gregg Popovich.

On top of this, LeBron is not really known as the selfish type: he just had to take on that role due to the injuries of Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. As for his criticisms about players traveling, the game has shied away from enforcing these rules long before LeBron: so it seems Jackson is only picking on the number one player in the world because he is the face of basketball. Still, this emergence of the superstar mentality is far from anything new: he coached both Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, so he should know this by now.

Still, the man has 13 championship rings, so he obviously knows what he is doing and talking about. So this interview might have just been him venting about the current state of the game, which got blown out of proportion by the mentioning of James.