Phil Jackson says 'goink' is a 'New York expression'
Phil Jackson hilariously explains what 'goink' really means.
New York Knicks President Phil Jackson is affectionately known as the "Zen Master" for his use of Eastern philosophy to influence how he coached. He practices what he preaches, always keeping a calm demeanor and often speaking in parables. Jackson does speak his mind though, as he did during the NBA playoffs.
Jackson came under fire when he tweeted out a criticism about "three-point oriented teams." He later adjusted his stance and even congratulated Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors after they won the championship. The Warriors relied heavily on the three-point shot and were successful because of it. However there is one aspect of his tweet that Jackson is sticking to - his use of the word "goink."
From an entertaining and informative interview Jackson did with Scott Cacciola of the New York Times:
Q. In the middle of the playoffs, you took to Twitter to ask N.B.A. analysts to give you “some diagnostics” on how 3-point-oriented teams were faring. It struck most as a criticism of teams like the Warriors who take a lot of 3-point shots. You asked, “How’s it goink?” What was that about?
JACKSON: They have all these analysts. I just wanted to see someone come back to me with statistics: Is 3-point shooting in the playoffs as consistent as it is in the regular season? Does your 3-point-shooting percentage change because you’re in the playoffs? No one figured that one out. And that’s probably me being obtuse to leave it open at the end. But “goink” is one of those New York expressions that we use, and I will tell you this: I learned something. Someone sent me the fact that if you look it up on Urban Dictionary, you’ll find out what it means in today’s society.
Q. Should I look?
JACKSON: Well, it’s rather bizarre to say the least.
Q. So it wasn’t just a typo?
JACKSON: “Goink” is a castoff expression, right? Instead of, “How’s it going?,” it’s, “How’s it goink?” It turned out to be either a combination of a mixed ethnic group: part Korean, part Chinese. Or it’s a vernacular term for how do you deal with a sexual partner.
Q. That was not your intention though?
JACKSON: No, I had no idea.
Jackson is right, Urban Dictonary does have a "bizarre" definition for "goink." In fact, it is basically NSFW. Google it for yourself, if you are curious but just know that Jackson is really downplaying the actual use of the word.
