J.R. Smith Doesn't Mind Phil Jackson Comparing Him to Dennis Rodman

After all, Rodman does have five rings.

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Complex Original

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During an interview with the New York Post last week, Knicks team president Phil Jackson compared one of his new players J.R. Smith to one of his old players Dennis Rodman. He made the comparison while discussing whether or not he thinks he's going to be able to "get through" to Smith.

"I don't know if that's possible or not," Jackson said. "He might be one of those guys that's a little bit like Dennis Rodman that has as outlier kind of side to him. But I'm gonna get to know him as we go along, and we'll find a way to either make him a very useful player on our organization, or whatever."

And as it turns out, Smith doesn't mind Jackson comparing him to Rodman. At all. He spoke with ESPN New York yesterday at Knicks training camp and revealed that he welcomes the comparison.

"Last time I checked, Dennis Rodman got, what, three, four rings [Rodman has five]. I'm not offended by that," he said. "It's an honor. He's a Hall of Famer. And to be put in the same [sentence] as a Hall of Famer is something special. So I'm not offended at all."

We wouldn't be offended, either. Smith and Rodman definitely aren't the same type of player on the court. But if Smith's able to leave the kind of legacy that Rodman did, we're guessing he'd be just fine with that.

[via ESPN New York]

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