National Basketball Association

Jackson mentors Kendrick Lamar

Published Aug. 13, 2013 1:00 a.m. ET

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For reasons I’m not sure I totally understand, Kendrick Lamar’s verse on Big Sean’s “Control” just about tore a hole in the universe Monday. I say this as someone who likes rap music and has been listening to it most of his life. The verse is terrific, and Lamar is a rising star, but it seems like most of the controversy, if we can call it that, centers around the part where he names himself, Jay-Z, Eminem, Nas and Andre 3000 as the only relevant MCs, which is the sort of boast that is nearly as old as the genre itself.

Lamar, who is from Compton, Calif., also refers to himself as the "King of New York," which was a pretty volatile thing for a rapper to say in 1995 (and apparently still is).

You can listen to it here (Lamar’s verse starts at around the 2:50 mark). I don’t think I need to warn you about the language, but I’ll do it anyway. The language is salty.

Anyway, the point is that this thing went so viral that a line about legendary basketball coach Phil Jackson actually drew a response from Jackson. In case you skipped it, Lamar says, “If Phil Jackson came back, still no coachin’ me. I’m uncoachable, I’m unsociable …”

Well, Phil Jackson never has been afraid of dealing with guys like that. So when the Zen Master found out about all this, he responded to Lamar in the most Phil Jackson way possible.

So, there you go, Kendrick. All you need is a little "mentoring."

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