The bricklayer is often ignored.
Hoops heads that really understand the game give Mark Jackson as much credit as Steve Kerr for the dynasty that Golden State has become. Jackson navigated the early years of the run, building a masterful team with shrewd draft picks and a style of play that ushered in a new era of NBA basketball.
Before Game 3 of the 2017 NBA Finals, Steve Kerr gave props to the guy who set the foundation for this historical Golden State run. Kerr credits Jackson for the player development and defensive principles that have made Golden State a juggernaut. Jackson was also the guy who told everyone that Steph Curry was the best shooter in history, even before he proved it by winning two MVP’s.
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Steve Kerr says he didn’t make the Warriors a defensive-oriented team. “Mark Jackson did,” he says.
Its about time Jackson got his propers.
I take tremendous pride in it.., Jackson said during a postgame panel on ABC. “Steve Kerr has done a tremendous job and I’m honored he took the time out to acknowledge me.
In 2011, the Golden State Warriors Jackson as head coach. He coached the team for three seasons, but was fired in 2014 despite leading the Warriors to consecutive playoff appearances for the first time in over 20 years.
The excuse for letting him go was that management didnt like his choice of assistant coaches and the way he nurtured his personal relationships within the organization.
Part of it was that he couldn’t get along with anybody else in the organization,” Warriors owner Joe Lacob said back in 2014. “And look, he did a great job, and I’ll always compliment him in many respects, but you can’t have 200 people in the organization not like you.”
That was a damaging and low blow to a basketball lifer who turned Golden State from a sh*t show into an all-time great NBA franchise. It was cool that Kerr cleaned all of the false narratives off the board and let everyone know that he came into a plush situation created by a basketball mastermind whose ownership didnt like him knowing that he was the smartest guy in the room.
