Eighteen games into his prized rookie's career, Phil Jackson sees more than what he imagined from Kristaps Porzingis' body, personality and gravitation. The Knicks president even evoked the word "magical" when referencing Porzingis' rapidly developed relationship with the fanbase.
"There's the magical element to this young man that has caught the admiration, I think, of the fan base here in New York City and people around the country that do follow the Knicks," Jackson said on Sirius XM NBA Radio on Wednesday. "In seeing this guy he's got the right temperament, the right attitude, carries himself well."
The comments were the first publicly from Jackson since the start of training camp, when Porzingis was considered much more of a risky project than an impact rookie.