Though they expressed surprise at a report that Mark Jackson “guaranteed” the Pacers would win the title, the Knicks refused to fire back at the cocky native New Yorker yesterday.
“Is that what he said?” Chris Childs said with raised eyebrows at Purchase College after being told of Jackson’s prediction. “Well, he has to have confidence. That’s a little bit much. I don’t have any response to that.”
Jackson, a former Knick, was quoted as saying this week that yesterday’s open-to-the-public Pacers scrimmage in Indiana would allow fans an “opportunity to see the champs before they give us our banner.”
Jackson said yesterday that his words were misinterpreted.
Charlie Ward said he planned to phone Jackson to ask him about the comment.
“I’ll call him tonight to find out if he said it or not,” Ward said yesterday.
Since joining the Knicks as a rookie in 1987, Jackson, a former Bishop Loughlin (Brooklyn) star, has turned into one of the league’s biggest showboats. Often during the playoffs against the Knicks, Jackson taunts the Garden crowds.
When asked about Jackson’s supposed guarantee, Chris Dudley responded, “Whatever. I don’t think it gets us any more fired up. That’s Mark being Mark. We don’t really worry about that. We’re really not too worried about what they’re thinking or their respect [of the Knicks]. We’re just taking care of what we have to do.”
Allan Houston, meanwhile, said Jackson is simply a confident player.
“You got to believe in yourself,” Houston said. “You wouldn’t be at this point if you didn’t believe in yourself or your team. Whether he’s [Muhammad] Ali or not, I don’t know.”