I wonder who Stephen will be cheering for tomorrow night?! It’s been almost 2 months since the Spurs cut Stephen Jackson and this is the first time he’s talking about what happened. Why was Jackson released and does he have any regrets?! Hit the jump for the report…
Via SBNation:
Stephen Jackson opened up about his departure and underlying issues with coach Gregg Popovich.
Watching from a distance as his old teammates prepare to take on the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, former San Antonio Spurs forward Stephen Jackson talked about his mid-April departure from the team to Buck Harvey of the San Antonio News-Express.
After refusing to discuss the reasons why San Antonio felt compelled to release him just weeks before the end of the season, Jackson revealed Tuesday significant discord with coach Gregg Popovich. The issue? Jackson struggled to deal with being a lesser player than Manu Ginobili and Danny Green.
With Popovich consistently giving more playing time to Ginobili and Green as Jackson struggled most of the season, the veteran wing grappled with the reality that he wasn’t one of the top wings on the roster. He described the “mind games” played by Pop, an unusual criticism of a coach known for straight-shooting.
After a discussion with the coach confirmed his place on the roster, Jackson says he let loose an angry reaction, which led Pop to ultimately release him. On Wednesday, Jackson admitted the release, “was best for me so I wouldn’t go crazy,” and “I wouldn’t want me on the team, either.”
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Via BR:
Upon his arrival, Jackson was asked if he had any regrets about how things turned out with the Spurs.
None of that matters to him. Or rather, it hasn’t resonated with him. All he cares about is getting paid.
“Nope,” he said of his abrupt departure from San Antonio (via Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News). “Got my money.”
