Former Warriors coach Mark Jackson has been in a lose-lose situation nearly the entire Playoffs.
After leading his Golden State team to 51 wins last year, Jackson had been let go in order to bring in a fresh face and hopefully reinvigorate the franchise. Needless to say, the plan worked.
Now Jackson has been forced to watch the team he lead from 2011-2014 compete for a Championship just a year later; all while awkwardly commenting from the broadcast booth on what it means to watch this team evolve into the powerhouse it has become.
While you may believe this kind of relationship with Golden State may lead him to become biased in his opinions for the Warriors, its actually been quite the contrary.
Earlier today he sat down with ESPN’s Mike and Mike and revealed who he thought deserves the MVP of the Finals, and the answer may surprise you:
“There’s no question about it. When you take a look at what he’s doing, this Warrior team is a superior team. They have great depth, 67 wins, talent and versatility to throw at you. To have a chance to win, LeBron James has got to be spectacular, and he’s been that.”
To Jackson’s point, James has been brilliant in the Finals, averaging 36.6 points, 12.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists in 45.6 minutes through five games. Curry has averaged 26.2 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists in 42.4 minutes.
This isn’t the first time he’s picked against his former pupil, either. During the intense run for this season’s MVP, Mark Jackson famously said that he believed James Harden was more deserving than Steph Curry.
While many people may look at this as sour grapes from Jackson, the truth is he couldn’t win in either situation.
If he were to pick a Warriors player, he’ll be reprimanded as the man who has a bias for a certain city. However, by picking against his former team, Jackson comes across as bitter that he’s not the one coaching them.
Either way – in my opinion – Mark Jackson was a fine head coach; but he may be better suited for the broadcast booth. He’s just calling it how he see’s it, and through 5 games LBJ has dominated for his Cavs.
H/T SN