{"id":2425805,"date":"2025-04-21T14:16:03","date_gmt":"2025-04-21T18:16:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/coaching-legend-phil-jackson-rips-nba-for-going-too-far-testing-faith-on-sacred-days\/"},"modified":"2025-04-21T14:19:35","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T18:19:35","slug":"coaching-legend-phil-jackson-rips-nba-for-going-too-far-testing-faith-on-sacred-days","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/coaching-legend-phil-jackson-rips-nba-for-going-too-far-testing-faith-on-sacred-days\/","title":{"rendered":"Coaching Legend Phil Jackson Rips NBA for Going Too Far, Testing &#8216;Faith&#8217; on &#8216;Sacred Days&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcoaching-legend-phil-jackson-rips-nba-for-going-too-far-testing-faith-on-sacred-days%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2425805&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses Phil Jackson&#8217;s recent comments about the NBA&#8217;s decision too hold games on important religious days, like Christmas and Easter. Jackson, a legendary NBA figure known for winning championships both as a player and a coach, expressed concern that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-york-times-demands-all-sports-leagues-shut-down-for-public-health\/\" title=\"New York Times Demands All Sports Leagues Shut Down for &#039;Public Health&#039;\">scheduling games<\/a> on these &#8220;sacred days&#8221; challenges one&#8217;s faith. He highlighted that this practice reflects a prioritization of business over beliefs. the piece mentions the irony of fans perhaps not recognizing Jackson&#8217;s influence and accomplishments in the sport. It contrasts the NBA&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">holiday game scheduling practices<\/a> with those of the NFL, suggesting that the latter has been more aggressive in monetizing sacred days. Ultimately, the article underscores Jackson&#8217;s point about the importance of what we prioritize, especially in contexts that involve faith and cultural significance.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>At the risk of scolding one&rsquo;s fellow citizens, some facts, too often overlooked, bear mentioning from time to time.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, no matter what you might tell yourself, a purely secular decision does not exist. You believe something, and what you prioritize reflects what you believe.<\/p>\n<p>That was the message NBA Hall of Famer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/coaches\/jacksph01c.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Phil Jackson<\/a> sent Sunday when he noted, in his usual understated fashion, that the league&rsquo;s decision to play games on &ldquo;sacred days&rdquo; such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/watch-trump-adopts-special-easter-greeting-godless-libs-atheists-satan-absolutely-hate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Easter<\/a> posed a challenge to &ldquo;faith.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Again the NBA tests faith by playing multiple games on Christmas and Easter&hellip;sacred days,&rdquo; Jackson wrote Sunday on the social media platform X.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Again the NBA tests faith by playing multiple games on Christmas and Easter&hellip;sacred days.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Phil Jackson (@PhilJackson11) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PhilJackson11\/status\/1914072523643424891?\">April 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=vizqo9x0\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, the youngest readers might have looked at that post and responded: &ldquo;Who?&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, it boggles the mind of this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kim-kardashian-deletes-9-year-old-daughters-tiktok-video-admits-maybe-kanye-was-right\/\" title=\"Kim Kardashian deletes daughter...s TikTok video, concedes Kanye may have been correct.\">middle-aged writer<\/a> that some voting-age Americans have no memory of Jackson&rsquo;s illustrious career.<\/p>\n<p>The 79-year-old former <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jacksph01.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">power forward<\/a> won NBA championships as a player with the New York Knicks in 1970 and 1973.<\/p>\n<p>Then, Jackson cemented his status as a sports legend by winning another 11 NBA championships as a head coach. In the 1990s, Jackson led <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/finally-know-bought-michael-jordans-megamansion-makes-total-sense\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Michael Jordan&rsquo;s<\/a> Chicago Bulls to six titles. Another five championships followed between 2000 and 2010, when Jackson&rsquo;s Los Angeles Lakers, led first by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/watch-shaq-saved-kid-bullied-kid-turned-around-saved-shaqs-life\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal<\/a> and eventually by the late Kobe Bryant, dominated the league.<\/p>\n<p>In other words, Jackson hardly qualifies as a random figure spouting off on NBA-related matters.<\/p>\n<p>Easter Sunday marked the second <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/come-on-give-me-a-break-man-biden-struggles-through-covid-presser-snubs-reporter-and-its-only-his-first-full-day-in-office-video\/\" title=\"\u201cCome On! Give Me a Break, Man!\u201d \u2013 Biden Struggles Through Covid Presser, Snubs Reporter\u2026 And It\u2019s Only His First Full Day in Office (VIDEO)\">full day<\/a> of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/scoreboard\/20250420\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NBA playoffs<\/a>. The higher-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics, and Cleveland Cavaliers cruised to easy victories. The seventh-seeded Golden State Warriors, however, did manage to upset the second-seeded Houston Rockets, 95-85.<\/p>\n<p>Jackson, however, did not limit his comment to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/must-watch-trumps-heartfelt-easter-message-christ-puts-bidens-2024-easter-stunt-shame\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Easter<\/a> playoff games. He also noted, in a tone of disapproval, that the league had regularly cashed in on Christmas Day games, too.<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, the NBA&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/scoreboard\/20241225\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Christmas Day 2024 slate<\/a> included five games featuring six eventual playoff teams.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, when it comes to exploiting &ldquo;sacred&rdquo; days, the NBA does not even rank as the most egregious offender.<\/p>\n<p>It is true that the NBA has played a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admin-clearing-remaining-federal-charges-against-portland-rioters-most-get-probation-community-service\/\" title=\"Biden Admin Clearing Remaining Federal Charges Against Portland Rioters, Most Get Probation, Community Service\">full slate<\/a> of Christmas Day games for many years. But basketball also lends itself to flexible scheduling. Teams often play four games per week, sometimes on back-to-back days.<\/p>\n<p>Contrast that with the scheduling gymnastics the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/nfl-make-fatal-error-christmas-eve-eve-game-disinterest-starts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">greedy NFL<\/a> has had to perform in order to exploit Christmas.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, Christmas Day 2024 fell on a Wednesday. But that did not stop the NFL, which usually confines its games to Thursday, Sunday, and Monday.<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, the NFL spoiled Christmas 2024 by saddling viewers with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nfl\/scoreboard\/2024\/regular\/17\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pair of duds<\/a> when the Kansas City Chiefs throttled the Pittsburgh Steelers, 29-10, followed by the Baltimore Ravens&rsquo; unwatchable 31-2 drubbing of the Houston Texans.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, to get those games on Christmas in the middle of the week, the league made sure that the Texans visited the Chiefs and the Steelers played the Ravens on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nfl\/scoreboard\/all\/2024\/regular\/16\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">previous Saturday<\/a>, thereby ensuring that each team had the bare minimum three days&rsquo; rest by Dec. 25.<\/p>\n<p><em>That&nbsp;<\/em>was how badly the league wanted to make money on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/internet-explodes-breathtaking-national-anthem-nfls-christmas-day-ravens-texans-game\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Christmas Day<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In the end, of course, one must not scold too harshly, particularly when one watches said games on Christmas. (One also watched the ghastly Pittsburgh Pirates of the MLB <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/mlb\/gametracker\/recap\/MLB_20250420_CLE@PIT\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fall<\/a> to the Cleveland Guardians, 5-4, on Easter Sunday. Thus, one&rsquo;s own glass house might easily shatter amid the casting of stones.)<\/p>\n<p>The fact remains, however, that Jackson had it right. We worship what we prioritize.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At the risk of reprimanding others, it&#8217;s important to highlight certain often-ignored truths. For example, there is no such thing as a completely secular decision; your beliefs influence your priorities. This was the essence of Phil Jackson&#8217;s recent comments regarding the NBA&#8217;s choice to hold games on &#8220;sacred days&#8221; like Easter, which he suggested challenges one&#8217;s faith. He pointed out that the league tests faith by scheduling multiple games on these significant occasions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2425806,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/NBA-PLayoff.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[25032,7873,53831,53832,33418],"class_list":["post-2425805","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-coaching","tag-nba","tag-phil-jackson","tag-sacred-days","tag-sports-controversy"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/NBA-PLayoff.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2425805","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2425805"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2425805\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2425809,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2425805\/revisions\/2425809"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2425806"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2425805"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2425805"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2425805"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}