OAKLAND, Calif. -- Stephen Jackson was at it again on Wednesday, speaking his mind and bringing down the verbal hammer.This time the nails were Kobe Bryant and his teammates.
One day after he gave up his Warriors' captaincy and took shots at his coach and his organization's front office, Jackson went in another direction. Asked to elaborate on what happened Friday night against the Lakers and Kobe Bryant -- which led to his two-game suspension -- that's exactly what Jackson did.
"Basically, to beat a dead horse, (Bryant) was just playing dirty," Jackson said. "He was getting favoritism out there. I'm not saying the refs were cheating. I'm not saying that at all. I think he was getting away with stuff that I couldn't get away with. And I didn't think it was fair.
Jackson picked up five fouls and one technical foul in less than 10 minutes in the Warriors' 110-91 preseason win over the Lakers last Friday. Jackson then got into a verbal confrontation with coach Don Nelson, who sent him to the locker room for the rest of the night.
In a meeting with general manager Larry Riley and Nelson on Monday, Jackson made it clear he didn't want to be a team captain anymore. Riley and Nelson said that was fine with them.
Jackson then addressed the media and said his relationship with Nelson had changed and that he would respect him on the court but that was about it. Jackson also said on Tuesday that everything was cool with his teammates because it really wasn't about them.
But maybe that's not the case. On Wednesday, Jackson made it clear that he did have an issue with his teammates, saying they didn't have his back like he would have had theirs.
"Nobody reacted but me so the team didn't have a reaction," Jackson said. "It was only me standing up for myself. I don't think anybody else stood up for me. But if the shoe was on the other foot, I would have stood up for somebody on my team. And they didn't do the same for me."
There were some reports that Bryant called Jackson "young fella" during their time on the court together and that may have played a role in Jackson's blowup. Jackson made no mention of that."I'm not going to bow down," Jackson said. "I'm not a fan of Kobe. I'm not somebody who looks up to him. I'm a grown man myself. So when I go out there and play the game, I play the game. I feel like I'm just as good as him. I might not get the publicity or notoriety he gets, but I feel like I can play with anybody in the NBA any given night.
"I think everybody should feel like that. Everybody should be a competitor and I don't back down from anybody. I've never been like that and I'm not going to start today. ... It ain't envy. I ain't jealous of anybody. At the end of the day I'm still blessed to be in this game, taking care of my family. I think it's just the fact that what's fair is fair and I want to be treated fair as a man. Just like anybody else would."
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Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Go ahead and think you are in the same class as Kobe. I'm no Kobe or Lakers fan, but Kobe has made a career out of smoking chumps and lighting up losers like you, Stephen.
Jackson averaged 20 points, 6 dimes and 5 boards a game last year. The kid can play. You can't deny that guys. The dud's a player in this lead.
the next milton bradley of the NBA
What he said is the truth , Kobe is spoiled and get favored by the refs.If you like it or not , he said what is happening and tells it like it is.
Dude, you are totally confused about reality. Anybody can breathe on D-wade and the refs call a foul. The refs hate Kobe; Kobe gets his head taken off and gets no love from the zebras. Lebron is the chosen ones by the refs.
MAN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT GET OUT OF HERE CLOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Guys like Stephen Jackson never fail to amaze me. It's obvious he got some serious issues that he's never learned to properly deal with. How many bridges is this guy going to burn in the NBA before he realizes it's him who has the problems, not his coaches or his teammates or his opponents. Maybe his teammates don't have his back, but can you really blame them. After signing his extention, he's now requested a trade only months later. Then he renounces his captaincy. Add the fact that another lunatic like Don Nelson is probably the worst coach for an emotional guy like Jackson and you have a recipe for disaster.
Having said all that, I've seen some interviews with Jackson and he genuinely seems like a good guy. It just seems he has some emotional issues that he has never learned to cope with and as a result, he loses his head frequently. Stephen Jackson has a ton of talent, but he's never been able to truely realize his potential becuase he's such a head case.
Stephen Jackson is a pussy!! The refs didn't call every foul so he flips out like a little kid..Boo-Hoo!! He is a good player but he is not on Kobe's level..
Didn't think it was possible, but Jack is making the warriors look good and he is turning out to look like the fool!
hey stephen, if you want to be treated like a man stop acting like a baby! Seriously, is anyone else sick of this clown?
Hell yeah!!!
everyone can stop the hating and the bickering, Kobe is not all that other than a non-convicted rapist and an adulterist. He is one of the biggest cry babies in the league. S.J. have the right to say whatever he want to whenever he want to because the 1st Amendment says so.
Jackson better get used to being surrounded by regular NBA players and not the exceptions who share his macho thug mentality like Artez. Besides Monta being a little petulant, the rest of what is a mostly young team are level-headed and professional. Was he physically hurt? Was he being threatened with being hurt? What does he expect of his team-mates, to show the same lack of maturity and anger-management as himself? Poor sad mistreated Jack.
You are not Kobe not even closed, Kobe have four rings. you have nothing, zero! cry baby.
Actually, he does a ring, doesn't he? Didn't he get one when he was with the Spurs. It's not four, no, and he's not Kobe, but respect where respect is due.
jack has 1 ring in 2003 with SA Spurs
Kobe = MVP, MVP of the finals, all defense multiple years, multi-year all-star, MVP of the all star game, NBA scoring champ once. Did I mention 4 championship rings?
Sure Stephen Jackson, you're totally on his level. When the hall of fame calls Kobe for his induction ceremony, you might be serving the drinks you retard.
Jackson may be correct in whining some about how inconsistent games are refereed ... Kobe and Shack and others of the so-called "elite" are given way more latitude all year long! Kobe is a rapist and a moral decrepit jock. He bought his way out of trouble and just like with Manny, the LA fans could care less what kind of persons these athletes are ... they would overlook Satin himself if they could win a few more ballgames using them. Sports is no different than the thieving politicians on both sides of the isle ... they care about nothing but themselves and making money. Pro sports are a joke and a money pit built on people getting lost in the game and ignoring what makes someone a good person ... it's all about the money! Jackson is a mental case that can't take having his position as a leader because he is too self absorbed and selfish ... much like Kobe in that respect ... and Jackson could care less about his own team ... much less the organization. He is a pain in the keaster who will whine until he is traded but isn't smart enough to discreetly asking for a trade (which should have happened before the contract extension) and playing hard to up his value ... or at least the appearance of that so teams might take an interest in him. Instead he will whine and get fined over and over ... sit on the bench and his ego will cost him millions by the time it is over with. There are 30 forwards out there that have the skill level that Jackson has ... but he seems to be in the top three as far as head cases! Sit him down ... make him ride the pine and every time he speaks out of order or does something stupid fine his azz and keep suspending him! Not sure if Jackson is smart enough to STFU and thinking not. The Warriors have a good young team which Jackson will not be an active part in because he is a egomaniac who will never live up to his potential because he is all about himself. Kobe ... he is an immoral unethical scoring machine that is a rapist and a moral degenerate! People who admire Kobe are sad.
Looks like so far, ex Cap`n Jack is getting what he wants. Two of the five most commented on articles, and this one headed there. Veterans adjust, even in preseason. 5 fouls in 10 minutes, a tech, a suspension, is NOT adjusting. Jackson wants to skip out of Oakland, he says. He isn`t Cap`n Jack anymore. Skipper Jack has known about as long as the public has known about Bryant, he feels Bryant gets away with dirty play. This is not news. Skipper Jack is a good play, would deserve the same calls as Bryant even if he were a bad player, but if the refs enforce the No Handchecking rule, guys should not handcheck. Bryant blows up when calls don`t go his way, too. Skipper Jack thinks he is too favored, Bryant thinks he isn`t favored enough. Where he IS favored is he is a much better basketball player than most guys he goes up against, not just Skipper Jack. But that is skill, hard work, talent, favoring him, not the refs. I said when he first announced he wanted to be traded, that undercuts his value, going public, undercuts the chance he`ll go where he wants. He also undercut himself with his teammates, so none of them sided with his temper tantrum about Bryant. Wasn`t Bryant who announced Skipper wanted to desert his teammates, skipper did that. Now he`ll probably keep messing up, but he ought to apologize to his teammates for wanting it both ways, and decide not to want it one of the conflicting ways. Either admit they should support him when he is trying to desert them, or admit he shouldn`t try to desert them. How can demanding to be traded be protecting your teammates back?
He's complaining because he doesn't have the star power of Kobe? He sounds awfully butthurt that Baron Davis left for the Clippers and hanging him to dry with a horrendous team.