LeBron James has had a couple of 50-point games at Madison Square Garden. The first one was back in March 5, 2008 when he had a near triple-double with 50 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists in a 119-105 victory over the New York Knicks. He duplicated the feat a year later, going for 54 points, 9 rebounds and 11 assists in a 107-102 win against the home team. It’s been a while since then, but following his highly publicized spat with Knicks president Phil Jackson, could he look to torch the MSG rims yet again when the Cleveland Cavaliers visit New York on Dec. 7?
In an interview with ESPN.com, Jackson referred to James’ camp as a “posse.” James’ close friend and business partner, Maverick Carter was the first to take offense, calling Jackson’s choice of words “disrespectful language.”
"It just sucks that now at this point having one of the biggest businesses you can have both on and off the floor, having a certified agent in Rich Paul, having a certified business partner in Maverick Carter that's done so many great business [deals], that the title for young African-Americans is the word 'posse,'" James told reporters Tuesday morning, also saying that he had “zero” ties and “no relationship at all” with the 11-time champion coach.
Adding, "We see the success that we have, but then there is always someone that lets you know still how far we still have to go as African-Americans. But it won't stop us from doing what we need to do as a group," he added. "We're not going to let Phil Jackson's comments stop us from doing what we need to do. It just gives us extra motivation. But it's still sad."
As of this writing, the Cavaliers sit atop the Eastern Conference at 9-1, while the Knicks are at 4-6. The two teams face-off on Dec. 7 at MSG. The current scoring record at the Garden (62) is held by Knicks forward, and James’ close friend, Carmelo Anthony.