Mark Jackson laid the groundwork for what would become the Golden State Warriors dynasty and never got another NBA coaching gig again.
The longtime TV analyst and former New York Knicks star rarely gets the credit he deserves for being one of the best franchise-constructors and talent-developers in the NBA, as Steve Kerr took over for Jackson and led Golden State to four NBA Championships on the backs of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green. Kevin Durant joined them for back-to-back titles during that run.
Mark Jackson Reminisces On ’80s Crack Era On ‘Sway In The Morning’
Jackson, who made an appearance on Eminem’s Shade 45 Channel on SiriusXM! on Tuesday, is back on the coaching market after his career as ESPN’s lead NBA analyst came to an end in 2023, when Jackson was let go by ESPN/ABC amid a wave of layoffs at the network.
While sitting down with host Sway on the legendary “Sway in the Morning,” show, Jackson discussed growing up in South Jamaica Queens, New York, in the 1980s crack era when boys were becoming men and people were choosing different paths in life.
He also gave some insight into his relationship with street king ad subsequent successful music mogul James “Bimmy” Antney. And how both of their lives could have been terribly altered one day back then.
NBA Legend Mark Jackson and Hip-Hop Pioneer Bimmy Antney Grew Up In Southside Queens
Shortly after being drafted out of St. John’s by the New York Knicks, Jackson was one of the rising point guards in the NBA, playing with superstar Patrick Ewing in Jackson’s hometown with a pro contract in his pocket and on top of the world.
The fame hadn’t changed him and the love for his hood, and the people who just a year and half earlier, were hanging at his crib, still resonated despite his new NBA life. Those neighborhood friends included the aforementioned Bimmy.
Back then, Bimmy was a street dude before he became a hip-hop pioneer. He escaped the drug-ridden lure of Jamaica, Queens and became a pivotal producer, mover and shaker in the music scene, working with artists that included his high school classmate LL Cool J, also from the area.
Years after Bimmy started making his mark in the music game, his nephew, rapper Waka Flocka, had a brief but successful run as an artist, collaborating with some of the biggest names in the game, and helping Atlanta’s rap scene further explode and connect with the North.
Growing up in a fatherless household with his mom and seven siblings in the trenches, Bimmy turned to street life, joining the notorious Supreme Team cartel and drug dealing to make a way.
After going on tour with local rap stars Run-DMC, his mind was opened to a different way of life, a safer way with more opportunity.
“You know they have that saying music soothes the beast. Well, I was a beast, and music soothed me,” Bimmy told Lisa Evers in a 2021 interview with Fox.
“Either street or music, because both require your life.”
Antney spent his early career in A&R with super producer Cory Rooney’s Soul Convention imprint at Sony Records, working on projects with Mariah Carey and a young 50 Cent. He later moved to Def Jam, working alongside music legends Slick Rick and LL Cool J, among others. He went on to launch globally recognized artists like Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka.
Antney manages artists across multiple record labels and works closely with his sister Debra “Deb” Antney at her Mizay Entertainment. The family’s influence runs deep.
Jackson and Bimmy Get Pulled Over In BMW With Drugs In The Car
Jackson recalls buying a brand new luxury car and driving to the old neighborhood about a year and a half after joining the Knicks in 87-88 season, and he sees Bimmy and says, “Get in the car.”
Jackson continues:
“I get him in the car and he’s riding shotgun with me and we are riding and listening to music and chilling and the next thing you know, the cops pull me over, because I’m in a Black BMW in the neighborhood, and they didn’t know it was me.
“So I look over to the passenger seat and Bimmy is fixing stuff in his pants. I’m like, what are you doing? He’s like he got some stuff (drugs) on him. I’m like, ‘You got some stuff on you??’ That’s new to me. What the heck are you talking about?”
Jackson say he told Bimmy to remain calm and “just stay still.” Thankfully, his celebrity went a long way toward how they would be treated in that instance.
“So the cops let me go, because they recognized who I was. Thank God.”
Jackson says he pulled over at the next block and told Bimmy, “Get out. You ain’t ridin with me.”
Jackson says it could have been a headline story, where people think he’s affiliated with Bimmy’s illegal activities and, according to Jackson, “I had nothing to do with (any illegal drug dealing or street-affiliated crimes).”
Jackson credits Bimmy for his growth and evolution but revealed the close call as a lesson to people who want to dabble in crime and the street life. Most don’t ever get a second chance to make something significant of their lives.
“To his credit,” Jackson said, “he changed his life and made better decisions and he’s still a brother for life, but there’s times when you learn lessons and you still have to say I’ll catch you down the road or on the other side but today – you ain’t messing up my life. My hustle.”
“It’s people that you are connected to in the neighborhood every single day, whether it’s rappers or drug dealers, you have to use wisdom and learn lessons and say that’s not for me,” Jackson explained. “I’m not going to deal with that.”
Why Hasn’t Mark Jackson Coached In A Decade?
Jackson continues to be hopeful to get an NBA head coaching gig again one day. He’s continuously passed over for jobs that seem tailor-made for his skill set. Before Jackson came to the Warriors the franchise had made the playoffs one time in 19 years. There’s been plenty of speculation as to why a basketball mind of his stature hasn’t been offered a job, and the younger generation is as confused as anybody.
During his tenure as head coach of the Golden State Warriors (2011-14) Jackson compiled a regular-season coaching record of 121 wins and 109 losses and led the team to the playoffs in his last two seasons, overseeing the drafting and development of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green before Steve Kerr took over.
With all of that taken into account, one Gen Z caller asked Jackson if his attitude is the reason why he hasn’t been offered any coaching jobs, because she’d been reading on social media that he has “an attitude” problem. It was funny and sad at the same time because Jackson, now 59 years old, apparently has a growing reputation among the younger generation — who get most of their information from social media — that he has an “attitude” problem.
Jackson took it in stride.
“In fairness, I was always raised that you don’t respond to everything because at the end of the day stay true to who you are and people will realize that this guy ain’t acting,” Jackson tells Sway’s audience. “Well, it’s been 59 years now and 40 with a platform and I’ve been consistent with who I am as a man, father, friend and leader and people still believe the nonsense that’s written.”
“We are in a time when a lie will travel all around the world,” he added. “Ultimately, I think I’m gonna win.”
Jackson saluted the caller, ironically named “Kilo,” and the opportunity to address these misconceptions about him.
Even if he’s not coaching, let’s get Mark Jackson in front of a microphone again soon. He’s got more basketball stories and just overall stories about the culture dating back to the 80s, and his relationships with titans of the hoops game to the street and entertainment game, like Bimmy.
Jackson played in as many high-stakes NBA games as anybody throughout the course of an NBA career that spanned three decades (1987-2004).
