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Noah defends Zen Master: 'We didn't lose all those games because of Phil'

Stacy Revere / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Phil Jackson showed tremendous confidence in Joakim Noah when he signed the former All-star Center to a four-year, $72-million contract.

Noah, however, was unable to reward Jackson for his faith. The 32-year-old trudged through an embarrassingly disastrous season marked by poor performance, injuries, and a PED suspension.

That albatross contract was just one of many missteps that led the New York Knicks to relieve Jackson of his duties as team president, and Noah feels responsible.

"It’s tough, man, because I got a lot of love and respect for Phil," Noah said on the Truth Barrel Podcast, as relayed by Marc Berman of the New York Post.

"He gave me an opportunity to play back home. Somebody I read all his books as a kid. I was just a big fan and still am. I have a lot of respect for him. It didn’t work out. That sucks. It’s something I have to live with. He believed in me, and I kind of let him down. That’s frustrating."

The Knicks billed themselves as a superteam after Jackson recruited Noah and Derrick Rose last offseason, but it was business as usual at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks imploded after the first two months of the season and Jackson routinely found himself in the headlines for the wrong reasons.

Jackson was fired this summer and offered as a scapegoat, but Noah said that's unfair. The players themselves should take responsibility for the lost season, not Jackson.

"He got a lot of blame that it was his fault," Noah said. "But we didn’t lose all those games because of Phil Jackson."

Unfortunately for Jackson, the bottom line speaks for itself: the Knicks went 80-166 in his three seasons at the helm. Jackson had every opportunity to build a successful roster, but he was mostly concerned with resurrecting his stubborn Triangle Offense that most of the players resisted. Moreover, Jackson managed to alienate his stars at every turn, which proved to be his ultimate downfall.

As for Noah, he's just hoping for a bounce back campaign after he averaged five points on 49 percent shooting in 46 minutes. Noah is hoping to rebound and reward Knicks fans after losing his confidence in his first season.

"I went through a lot of adversity. You go through injuries. I lost my confidence this year. It’s about bouncing back and showing who I am through these tough times. It can really show what you’re made of," Noah said.

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