Phil Jackson, one of the most legendary coaches in the NBA has returned to social media just to rip into the league for scheduling games on important religious holidays, mostly Christmas and Easter. The 13-time champion posted his criticism on Easter Sunday, same day there were four playoff matches.
Just as the NBA’s first round of postseason action was starting this weekend, the Lakers and Bulls icon posted in X for the first time in a while. “Again the NBA tests faith by playing multiple games on Christmas and Easter… sacred days,” his publication read.
Even though this was the first time Jackson posted in over a year, his criticism of the league has been constant ever since his retirement. For example, back in 2023 he made headlines when he announced he wasn’t going to watch the NBA after the pandemic because they had become too political.
Phil Jackson criticizes NBA for Easter Sunday scheduling decision in rare post https://t.co/7u0kHb8hd5 pic.twitter.com/NakTu90WVR
— New York Post (@nypost) April 21, 2025
“They went into the lockout year, and they did something that was kind of wonky. They did a bubble down in Orlando, and all the teams that could qualify went down there, and stayed down there,” he expressed during a podcast appearance with none other than Rick Rubin.
Phil then added: “And they had things on their backs like ‘Justice.’ I made a little funny thing like, ‘Justice just went to the basket and Equal Opportunity just knocked him down.’… So, my grandkids thought that was pretty funny to play up those names. So, I couldn’t watch that.”
Back during the 2020 Bubble, the league had permitted players to wear what they considered social justice messages on their jerseys. “They didn’t know it was turning other people off. People want to see sports as non-political,” the Hall of Famer explained.
Despite what religious people might believe, the NBA continues to compete with the NFL for viewership on Christmas Day. After the football league’s impressive success during the holiday, they’ve announced that three games will be played during this year’s December 25.
