Phil Jackson is never lacking when it comes to subtle comments to get under the skin and into the mind of his opponents.  Tuesday night, however, he stooped beneath the standard of class that we have come to expect from him.

You haven’t had to look far recently to find people piling on the Miami Heat’s recent woes, and especially the revelation by coach Erik Spoelstra that players were crying in the locker room following the Heat’s loss to the Chicago Bulls on Sunday.  Everyone from Antonio Pierce to Chris Mullin ostracized the team for showing emotion after what had been a frustrating string of losses.  That total has reached 5 after the Heat’s loss at the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night.

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Phil Jackson was asked, in his pre game presser, to comment on the reports of Heat players crying following a tough loss.  At first, Jackson tried to deflect the question, saying:

"People cry in locker rooms, yes, [but] I don't want to talk about Miami's situation."

When pressed further for an answer, the Zen Master went on to say:

“This is the NBA: No Boys Allowed. Big boys don't cry. But, if you're going to do it, do it in the toilet where no one can see.”

We have come to expect and even revere the clever and subtle ways in which Phil has gotten into the heads of opponents for decades, but this shot was unnecessary.  If anyone should know about handling a team who has faced adversity, it’s Phil.  Only recently has the ‘What’s wrong with the Heat’ talk quieted down some of the ‘What’s wrong with the Lakers’ talk.

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