OK - let me preface this by a couple of things.
1. This rant might prove to be pointless as we could easily flip Stephen Jackson in another trade, try to figure out a buyout, or never suit the man up.
2. I have previously claimed Stephen Jackson was my favorite player on the We Believe Warriors team. See Player Recaps and Predictions: Stephen Jackson 07-08 and Stephen Jackson - O Captain, My Captain. But I'm going to make this very clear....
I DO NOT WANT STEPHEN JACKSON BACK IN A WARRIORS JERSEY!
So humor me while I live in the past for a minute...remember all this?
Golden State Warriors' Game 6 Upset of the Dallas Mavericks (via jrichb23d)
Well I sure do. 33 points, Seven 3-pointers by SJax. He was on fire. And here's what Baron Davis had to say about him after the game
"I told him (Stephen Jackson) I'll give it all I got and I didn't want to be the hardest worker out there. He had to carry me. He is the leader of this team and if you ask anyone on this team, he is the heart and soul of this team. He is a big-game performer and he knew just how important this game was. He is the only one on our team to have won a championship, so we had to feed off of him."
Remember this picture?
Yeah...that about sums it up.
Ok let's recap the next few years after that.
- Warriors make a ridiculous trade the summer after We Believe to start the breakup. Jason Richardson goes to the Bobcats for Brandan Wright.
- Warriors barely miss the playoffs in 07-08.
- Baron Davis books it for the Clippers on a ridiculous contract. Clippers suck. Warriors suck.
- Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins get nutso contracts.
- Moped Gate.
- SJax plays point guard and...well, see below
- Stephen Jackson starts claiming he wants to play for a "winner" and wants to be on a "playoff team."
- Warriors trade Stephen Jackson to the Charlotte Bobcats for peanuts aka Vladamir Radmonovic and an injured Raja Bell.
- SJax + Gerald Wallace lead the Bobcats to their first playoff appearance in franchise history (Eastern Conference, big whoop). Get swept in the first round by the Orlando Magic.
- After 2 years in Charlotte, Jackson is traded (again) to the Bucks.
- After less than 4 months with the Bucks, SJax starts demanding another contract extension, doesn't get along with his new coach and gets traded to the Warriors
Great story. Sounds like an excellent leader and the veteran presence you want on a young and rebuilding team.
Tell you what, this time around, I'm not writing a fancy poem. I'm not going to say anything positive.
I'm just going to hope I don't see anymore ridiculous 3 pointers in a fast break. Or seeing a stat line of 5/20 shooting. Or driving 1 on 5 because a certain player thinks he's just as good as LeBron James.
I'm just going to say I hope someone keep this man from coming on the basketball court again in a Warriors jersey.
