NBA

Phil Jackson Celebrates Retirement By Growing Beard, Wearing Crazy Shirt

Phil Jackson is without a job. Sure, it’s by choice, but the sudden absence of a 24/7 basketball schedule must be as much of a shock to Phil’s system as anyone else who gives up the game, so who could blame him for embracing the universal male symbol of “I have nowhere to be and will therefore let myself go a little bit” and growing a beard? Via Jackson’s girlfriend and Lakers executive Jeanie Buss:

We’ll get back to the beard in a minute. For now, a more pressing concern: that shirt. It looks like a design the Trenton Thunder rejected before going with that insane outfit they sported the other night. Yet in a strange way, Jackson’s shirt is drawing us in. Whereas we’re glad Derek Jeter will never look like that again, we wouldn’t mind if Jackson exclusively wore shirts like this from now on (and maybe an American flag bandana along with it).

As for the beard, isn’t a new look for Jackson, but he’d gone clean-shaven for a while, so the appearance of a beard so soon after his exit from the game isn’t a shock. It does, though, tell us he’s ready to kick back and just not care for a while. (And so does the shirt, come to think of it.) Phil’s earned it.

[h/t SPORTSbyBROOKS]