When Knicks president of basketball operations Phil Jackson gave an extensive, two-part interview with the New York Post‘s Steve Serby in September, he compared mercurial Knicks wing J.R. Smith to Phil’s former power forward with the Bulls and Bad Boy rebound robot, Dennis Rodman. Now Rodman has chimed in and agrees with the sentiment.
When JR heard the comparison, he wasn’t affronted, like some might have been.
“Last time I checked Dennis Rodman’s got what three, four rings?” Smith told the New York Daily News. “I’m not offended by that. It’s an honor. He’s a Hall of Famer. And to be put in the same words as a Hall of Famer is something special. So I’m not offended at all.”
For the record, Phil said J.R. “might be a little bit like Dennis Rodman that has an outlier kind of side to him.” That’s hedging his comparison a tad, which is fair since — as JR mentioned, Rodman’s got championship rings and he was inducted in the Hall of Fame when he’s not upsetting a touchy geopolitical stasis in the East. J.R. hasn’t accomplished a fraction that Rodman did during his career.
Still, Rodman’s five rings (it’s not three or four, J.R., come on) might be the end of the differences since both don’t mind saying what’s on their mind. Perhaps that’s why Rodman gave Smith his seal of approval earlier today:
Sending love to the zen master @PhilJackson11 and the @nyknicks for this season. Good luck to @therealjrsmith who is the new Dennis Rodman
— Dennis Rodman (@dennisrodman) October 15, 2014
Besides their resumes, on the court Rodman and Smith couldn’t be more divergent personalities. Whereas Smith hasn’t met a three-pointer he won’t take, Rodman shunned offense almost to the detriment of the team. Dennis the Menace studied shooters, the spin of the ball and his positioning to become perhaps the greatest rebounding power forward in the history of the game. He was also a determined and intelligent defender, winning Defensive Player of the Year in consecutive seasons (1990 and 1991) while taking home five rings (two with the Pistons and three more with Jackson’s second three-peat Bulls team (’96-’98).
Smith’s effort on the defensive end improved under coach Mike Woodson. That fact, combined with his impressive offensive talents when he curbs his tendency to launch step-back three-pointers, led to a 2013 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award and a new contract. Since the summer of 2013, though, it’s been hit or miss, with a weed suspension, shoelace gate and other boneheaded decisions on and off the court. It’s those personality quirks — or flaws, depending on who you talk with — where the overlap with Rodman begins, but also ends.
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