The NBA has never failed to entertain the fans with mouth-watering fixtures and playoff games that stretch till the very end. The Chicago Bulls have been in plenty of them.

Owing to the unforeseen quarantine because of the coronavirus crisis, former players and coaches are making plenty of podcast appearances. They share many interesting anecdotes that didn’t reach fans before.

Patrick Ewing and Jeff Van Gundy joined the latest episode of the ‘ The Woj Pod’ hosted by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Ewing and Gundy were both associated with the New York Knicks during their time at the NBA. Patrick Ewing spent 15 years as a player at the Knicks. Van Gundy was the head coach of the New York team from 1996 to 2001.

Chicago Bulls vs New York Knicks – 1992 Conference Semi-Finals

About 15 minutes into the podcast, Wojnarowski mentioned an incident that took place during the 1992 NBA Playoffs. It was Conference Semi-Finals between the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks.

He pointed out how Bulls coach Phil Jackson accused Knicks’ Patrick Ewing of being too physical on the court. This comment got under the skin of New York’s coach, Pat Riley. According to Wojnarowski, Riley’s response was this: 

Trending

Shaq Makes Big Claim That Can End LeBron James’ Future With Lakers After Nuggets Series

April 17, 2024 06:48 PM EDT

Possible Shohei Ohtani Ban From MLB Has Shaq Questioning $700 Million Contract

April 16, 2024 05:20 PM EDT

7’4 Victor Wembanyama, Accused of Disrespecting Knicks Star, Gets MVP Shout-Out From Unbothered Jalen Brunson

April 19, 2024 02:58 PM EDT

Why Is Gabbie Marshall Not Invited to the 2024 WNBA Draft Despite Graduating From Iowa?

April 13, 2024 06:21 PM EDT

Is Dawn Staley Married? Details on South Carolina Coach’s Love Life and Special Bond With Lisa Boyer

March 16, 2024 06:41 PM EDT

Get instantly notified of the hottest NBA stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

“I think what he [Phil Jackson] is doing is insulting us basically, I was part of six championship teams and I have been to finals 13 times. I know what championship demeanor is about. The fact that he is whining and whimpering about the officiating is an insult on how hard our guys are playing and how much our guys want to win.”           

Patrick Ewing was quick to weigh in on these comments. He spoke about how Jackson had prepared Michael Jordan and his team to counter the strategy of the Knicks. 

“MJ was good. If you give him everything he wants, then he is hard enough to stop,” Ewing explained. “So, you know when we are not able to play physical against him and try to limit the things that he can do, then it was going to be an easy series.” 

“So Phil wanted to make sure to the refs that it was going to be a tight whistle,” he added. Ewing stated that if the Knicks players got anywhere close to Jordan, the referee would award a foul, which frustrated Pat Riley.

It is obvious that both coaches wanted the officiating to go their way. Riley had asked his players to be physical against their opponents, considering the threat they can bring. Jackson wanted the referees to note every little movement the Knicks players committed against his team. 

Eventually, Jackson had the last laugh against Pat Riley. The Bulls put on a superb display in Game 7, cruising past the Knicks 110-81.

The host also stressed on how verbal the coaches would be in the 90s when it came to crucial games, mentioning that it hardly happens these days. He made the claim that the coaches are not aggressive enough in crunch moments like these.