Former Dubs Coach Mark Jackson will no longer broadcast games for ESPN

Wow, news came through today that NBA legendary point guard and former Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson is no longer going to be on ESPN’s game broadcasts, effective immediately.

His famous comments like “Hand Down, Man Down!” or “Mama, There Goes That Man!” have changed the way the NBA community discusses the game of hoops.

From the SF Gate:

Doris Burke and Doc Rivers are expected to take over Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy’s spots on the main broadcast team with Mike Breen, as the Post report outlines. It would be a step up for Burke, who has been a national NBA analyst for the network since 2017. Doc Rivers was fired as the 76ers’ head coach at the end of last season and worked in television in his one year away from coaching in 2003-04.

The Post’s Andrew Marchand has a few noteworthy pieces of reporting about the shuffle. The first is that ESPN executives reportedly believed Burke wouldn’t have the same chemistry with Jackson as Van Gundy did — which probably means Burke simply can’t meander into strange stories from her childhood the way Van Gundy could. The other is this: “Unlike Van Gundy, Burke and Rivers are popular at the league offices. The league has always been a fan of Rivers in the broadcast booth.”

Here’s a quote from the OG after the news broke:

Who can forget Mr. Jackson’s elite quote about getting fired by the Warriors and replaced by Steve Kerr?

It had to be surreal for Jackson to provide color commentary for the Warriors dynasty, as he was the man who originally lifted the Warriors out of their misery.

When Coach Jackson took over the team in 2011, the team was coming off of a dismal 36 win campaign, and hadn’t made the playoffs since the “We Believe” miracle of 2007. Golden State was crash landing through the end of the Monta Ellis-era and there seemed to be no quick fix in sight.

Jackson oversaw the team’s rebuild, okaying the Ellis-for-Andrew Bogut trade, and elevating Steph Curry and Klay Thompson to huge roles. The team’s faith grew as a result of his bombastic confidence, and the defense blossomed into a top-5 unit under his demands.

The Warriors made two playoff runs under Jackson, but ultimately never advanced past the second round. Additionally, the organization grew tired of his bizarre clashes with his staff and some of his players. Also, the Warriors offense looked stuck in the mud way too many times, culminating in his last season when the team was ranked DEAD LAST IN PASSING.

Jackson was fired, despite Curry’s vocal support for the man who literally prayed for the healing of his tattered ankles. Coach Steve Kerr took over, and the team hasn’t looked back, becoming one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history.