Monday night, Brooklyn's Barclays Center hosted the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year ceremony. The honorees included Michael Phelps and, of course, LeBron James. Being that the event was held in Brooklyn, it only made sense that the borough's own Jay Z was there to introduce LeBron.
While onstage, Hov paid tribute to the Cavs' big man—not only his on-the-court prowess, but also his charity work.
He tried his hand at standup comedy.
But the moment that got the most attention was when Jay critiqued Phil Jackson's now-infamous use of the word "posse" when describing LeBron's colleagues.
Related Stories
Kevin Durant Backs LeBron James on Phil Jackson's 'Posse' Comment: 'It Sounds Like a Downgrade'
Kevin Durant doesn’t believe Phil Jackson is a racist, but says he shouldn't be talking about other players outside of the Knicks to the media.
Phil Jackson Discusses His 'Posse' Comment About LeBron James
Phil Jackson barely addresses his "posse" remark about LeBron James during appearance on CBS Sports Network's 'We Need To Talk.'
LeBron James Won't Meet With Phil Jackson to Discuss "Posse" Comment
LeBron James has no interest in meeting with Phil Jackson to discuss the “posse" comment he made.
Jay took a moment to talk about how LeBron is "The son who honors and worships his mother Gloria. The friend who put his posse in position," emphasizing the controversial word with a smile. He continued:
Hov's speech can be found in full below, starting at the 1:43:30 mark.
Jay is not the only person to be critical of Jackson for his racially-charged wording. Kevin Durant has spoken out, as have Maverick Carter and James himself.
