Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban Calls Phil Jackson ‘First Housewife’ of LA Lakers

Go ahead and add not-so-blissfully ignorant to the many things that Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban emulates.

Speaking about the legendary Phil Jackson before Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers tore apart his Mavs, Cuban had a few choice words for describing the Zen Master (via Kurt Helin of NBC Sports' ProBasketballTalk):

“I have great respect for Phil, Jeanie’s husband as he’ll be now be known. Someone’s got to be the first housewife of the Lakers,” Cuban said.

In case you need the joke explained, Jackson is now engaged to long-time girlfriend Jeanie Buss, who is one of the lead owners of the Lakers after the passing of her father Jerry earlier this year.

Kris Humphries' time machine must've worked, because I feel like we've traveled back to the 19th century.

What's that? This is still 2013? Where women have the right to vote, own property and do whatever the hell else men can do?

Oh, okay then.

I get that Cuban was attempting to take a comical dig at Jackson, but that doesn't mean it wasn't classless. It doesn't matter in what context you use it, referring to anyone as a woman with the intent to insult them is imbecilic. Coming from Cuban, who has stated he would give Brittney Griner a chance at the NBA level, it's also hypocritical.

So what if Jackson was, indeed, playing the part of a "housewife?" Why is that a bad thing?

Jackson is 67 and has coped with various health problems over the years. Remaining at home, in retirement, isn't exactly something to take proverbial jabs at.

That said, there wouldn't have been any kind of problem if he did.

Call Phil old. Call him fragile. Send a lifetime supply of Depends to his house. Don't, however, attempt to emasculate him with an outdated form of insolence that should have never been used as a means to oppress an entire gender in the first place.
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