This past January, the New York Knicks made the first step to reshaping their current roster by trading J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Days before actually making the trade, Knicks team president Phil Jackson spoke with ESPN's Charley Rosen and openly discussed Smith's personal life, saying that the now Cavs guard was "going through some issues with his gal."
Jackson is free to speak to his mind but talking with ESPN's Ian Begley, Smith revealed that he was taken aback by the the Knicks president's comments.
From Begley:
"It was crazy to me because I try to leave my personal life on the side and when somebody sits there, sits behind a desk and tells you to open up on what’s going on with you, you’re thinking that’s going to be between the two of y'all,” Smith said in an interview with ESPN.com on Friday morning. “So, for me, it tells me something I already knew. But to come from someone like Phil, it's just, it’s crazy. It makes you not want to tell anybody anything [that has] anything to do with your business. It was tough, but that’s how he handles stuff, that’s how he does it."
“I’ve talked to a few people and they don’t understand why he did it, but I definitely won’t have that conversation with anybody else after that. So it just stuck with me. It’s all right,” Smith said.
It was a bit shocking to hear Jackson talk so openly about Smith's personal life. Jackson was talking to Rosen, one of his best friends, so that may be why he was so forthright. But if Smith thought his conversation with Jackson was private, then this whole situation doesn't speak too highly of the Knicks president. Will other players not want to talk with Jackson because of what happened with Smith?
Despite his issues with Jackson, the trade has worked out quite well for both Smith and the Knicks. Smith is playing on the championship-contending Cavs while the Knicks have been able to rebuild their roster and have a promising future thanks to rookie sensation Kristaps Porzingis.
