Former ESPN colleague of Mark Jackson, Stephen A. Smith, has spoken up on the controversial news regarding the former coach's firing over the summer. Smith also addressed the situation Jackson is in about the potential part-time analyst for MSG Network that reportedly fell through.
According to sources, Jackson and an assistant coach for the New York Knicks had an old quarrel that was left unsolved. That came after he was let go by ESPN over the summer, along with his partner, Jeff Van Gundy. Smith said about the situation on his show recently:
"I work for ESPN. I was not happy when Mark Jackson was let go. I don't have any control over that." Smith said about ESPN firing the analyst. "I think he's an outstanding analyst, but I also know Doc Rivers is one, too.
Smith went on to talk about the news about MSG Network banning Jackson as a part-time analyst.
"Evidently, all of these years Mark Jackson was doing this job, he was doing it for business. You working for ESPN and ABC, calling NBA final games, and all of a sudden you can't call Knicks games? Of course something's fishy. But why it gotta be him?
"Stephen A. Smith will not be saying anything if I looked around and I saw that this happens to everybody, cause fair is fair. But we know that ain't true. It's happening to him (Jackson)... You literally got people trying to keep this man from being employed, lying on him at every turn, embellishing stories about him."
Smith called out those who are seemingly preventing the former Knicks player from getting a job. He addressed them and said that they're "full of s**t" and that he knows a lot about the behind-the-scenes of it all.
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Stephen A. Smith thinks Jackson deserved better treatment from ESPN
Many were surprised when the news broke out that ESPN had let go of Jackson. On finding out that, Smith shared his sentiments on his podcast.
Smith strongly believes that the former NBA star shouldn't have been let go so easily.
The analyst was close to Jackson and Van Gundy, who were both partners of Mike Breen for calling games during the NBA Finals.
Jackson has been blackballed from the league, which has kept him from getting a job as a coach. The NBA journalist strongly thinks that it could be a huge reason why he hasn't been in any coaching position since getting fired from the Golden State Warriors.
