Lakers' Phil Jackson has some deep thoughts to share

FROM DENVER — I remain confused, so you know I was talking to Phil Jackson.

The Lakers lost, and at Jackson's post-game news conference he said, "I'm disappointed that we didn't compete tonight and give ourselves a chance."

Shocked that we would agree, I'm sure he could hear the excitement in my voice.

I told him that's been a recurring criticism of his players during the playoffs, and did he now buy such criticism?

Then I add, "That's a pretty good question," which drew a loud laugh, something not heard very often at a Phil Jackson news conference.

My mistake. He didn't swear this time, but it seemed to set him off, Jackson saying, "I'll explain it to you in deep terms."

Now as a rule he probably believes he talks over everyone's heads, in part because he likes to sit on a chair that makes him taller than everyone else, but now he was going to talk in deep terms.

The officiating was inconsistent, he said, using the same deep terms that most high school coaches might use in blaming the officials for their team's defeat by 19 points.

When I interrupted to make sure I understood his deep explanation, he said, "Just be quiet while you're standing there. You asked me a question, and I'll give you the answer.

"So as the momentum changes in a ball game like that and the refereeing then becomes where you're always on your heels, guys are in foul trouble, then you are not the aggressor anymore," he said, and that's word for word. "Then you're the guy that's defensively playing the game. And that's what I don't like."

It was getting deep in here, all right, but I just wanted to know, "Are you saying it's the referees and not your team's inability to compete all the time?"

"No, I don't think I said that," he said, and no way was I going to ask him to repeat himself word for word.

"I think you're trying to put words in my mouth," Jackson said, "and I'm not going to let you do that."

Well, I said, "You're a big guy. You can speak your own words."

Often I get permission from players and coaches "to write what you like." It was nice for a change to give the coach permission to say what he wanted.

Jackson's reply: "I did. You're just trying to convert them into your words. So leave them be my words, all right?"

He asked the other reporters in the room if they were going to allow me to ask another question, before continuing his onslaught against the officials. So I remain confused -- did the Lakers lose because they didn't compete, as he suggested earlier, or because of the referees?