Is coach Phil Jackson cracking up amidst all the Lakers’ turmoil? Early in the third quarter, with the Lakers trailing by 12 points, the Zen Master started to complain to the referees about the religious, green bands Charlie Ward and Allan Houston were wearing around their wrists.
“How come they’re allowed to play with those hospital bracelets?” Jackson screamed at referee Greg Willard. On the next stoppage, Willard took a look at Ward’s band before giving him the ball for the inbounds play. (Players are not allowed to play with jewelry under league rules).
Ward turned to Jackson before inbounding and said “It’s my tattoo.”
Ward and Houston, the two most religious players on the Knicks, have proudly worn those knitted, religious bands for several years. For the last couple of years, the band’s inscription contained the initials “WWJD”, standing for “What Would Jesus Do?” The new inscription says “Our God Reigns.”
Houston thought it was odd of Jackson, whether he was kidding or not. “I thought he was joking with Charlie,” Houston said. “But I can imagine if I was a ref looking at him like: what are you worried about that for instead ofsomething from the game. “But I think he was havingsome fun out there.”
Ward did not seem offended by Jackson’s complaints, saying he thinks he was “messing around.”
“This is my tattoo, everyone else has tattoos. I wear a bracelet,” Ward said. “It’s not jewelry. It’s there for a purpose.”