Former NBA coach Phil Jackson urged his alma mater, the University of North Dakota, to get rid of its controversial "Fighting Sioux" nickname and logo.

Jackson, who was a star basketball player at UND, said his Lakota friends urged him to speak out on the issue. He said the use of the nickname and logo is “not beneficial” to the Sioux people, The Grand Forks Herald reported.

UND has agreed to stop using "Sioux" if it can't gain the support of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the Spirit Lake Dakotah Nation. Both tribes have refused to endorse the nickname and logo.

Most Indian students and alumni oppose the use of the nickname and logo.

Get the Story:
Phil Jackson on the Sioux nickname: ‘Do the right thing’ (The Grand Forks Herald 8/26)
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