Stephen Jackson and Kyrie Irving have been communicating every day since the retired NBA forward’s friend, George Floyd, died.
Stephen Jackson has been at the forefront of the Blacks Lives Matter movement since the death of his longtime friend George Floyd.
In the process, one of the people the retired NBA forward has been in constant contact with is Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving, which Jackson revealed on Instagram Live with his podcast co-host and fellow retired NBA forward Matt Barnes.
Jackson, like Irving, feels the NBA should not continue the 2019-20 season at Disney World in Orlando because he feels it will distract people from the movement that has been the focus of the nation amidst the novel coronavirus pandemic.
And with Irving receiving criticism for his approach, Jackson let everyone know how the Nets guard is doing everything to help the cause:
He’s passionate about this and by the conversation he had, I just think he understands this moment. You know what I’m saying? And he just like me. I don’t have all the answers, you know what I’m saying? And he’s speaking off heart, he’s speaking off passion because … I ain’t said this on no interviews bro. He done called me crying bro because he literally know that I’m putting in every single day.
Stephen Jackson says Kyrie Irving has been FaceTiming him almost everyday to check on him
“He called me crying, because he literally knows I’m putting everything on the line.” pic.twitter.com/vpX93qDqom
Minnesota Timberwolves’ Josh Okogie recently joined Minnesota Vikings’ Kyle Rudolph in an effort to provide supplies for their community.
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Minnesota Timberwolves’ Josh Okogie recently joined Minnesota Vikings’ Kyle Rudolph in an effort to provide supplies for their community.
Okogie, 21, has also represented the Timberwolves alongside Karl-Anthony Towns at a press conference hosted by Stephen Jackson to mourn the death of George Floyd. The wing also attended Floyd’s memorial service at North Central University in Minneapolis.
He recently spoke to HoopsHype about what he has learned by getting involved with the movement and ways that basketball fans can support similar efforts. You can watch the entire video streaming via YouTube:
What made you feel like it was the right time to get involved and what has your experience been like out there?
Josh Okogie: I just feel like the whole thing for me is very touching and emotional. I’m actually so emotional that I feel like I have no choice but to act. I was in Georgia when the Ahmaud Arbery situation was going on. A day after I got to Minnesota, George Floyd‘s situation happened and I just couldn’t stay silent anymore. I reached out to some people and they told me that Stephen Jackson was hosting a press conference at City Hall in Minneapolis. I made some connections and I made sure that I was there. I know I didn’t even say anything but I wanted to show my support and show that I was with the cause. I tried to find out other ways to get acclimated with the whole situation so I teamed up with [Minnesota Vikings tight end] Kyle Rudolph this past Friday to help give supplies out to the community. We actually did it at a symbolic location, we did it at a Target that was looted. It was a Target and a Cub Foods and they burned down a building. So we set up shop right there in the center of it all. For me, it was special because it was so much love in that one parking lot. To see all the love spread out from there, it was great. I try to get involved in other ways as well. I’ve been giving out speeches here and there.
What are some of the things that you really want people to hear so we can help amplify that voice for you?
JO: For me, one of my biggest messages is that we’re here to celebrate the life of George Floyd. The way we celebrate is by keeping this march together. We keep it ongoing and we don’t let this momentum flop. At times, we make a noise, and we don’t really do anything with that noise. So while we’re making this noise, I feel like it’s time for us to be demanding stuff from our justice system. I feel like we have to come together. I think we’ve been great as a community coming together in terms of white Americans, Black Americans, Latinx, Native Americans, Asians, you name it. I’ve seen everybody coming together for one common goal. As a basketball player, our team’s locker room encompasses people from different environments, people from different backgrounds, people of different races and religions. We all come together to achieve a common goal. It’s no different than what we should have today. We should all have this common goal so we can all win the game that is life. That’s my whole message out to the people, and I appreciate everybody in the different demographics for showing up and fighting for humans.
I’d love to hear about what the sentiment of “change starts with me” means to you?
— Wolves no Brasil 🐺🇧🇷 (@wolvesnobrasil) June 6, 2020
JO: The phrase “change starts with me” it means sometimes as individuals, we want change to happen. Everybody wants change to happen. Everybody wants to see things change for the greater good. But change doesn’t start until somebody initializes the change. I feel like if we stand around waiting for somebody to do it, it will never get done. That’s why I love that phrase. Change really does start with me. It is something everybody should say to themselves. I feel like there are more George Floyds out there. I think that my whole goal right now is to dig deep into our Black communities and to help the future George Floyds. I want to put them into positions of power, so they’re not held at their oppression of racial injustice. I want us to teach this generation about financial literacy. I want to see communities groom the next Black presidents, the next Black mayors, the next Black governors, the next Black senators. If we can do that, I think that’ll be the best way to move forward.
You had a chance to speak with Stephen Jackson who was a very close friend to George Floyd. What are some things that he said to you?
JO: He definitely thanked me for showing up. When I heard him talk, the biggest thing that he was saying was that he’s not going to stop until he gets what’s best for his brother. As a community, nobody should stop.
I’d also love to hear about some of the things you were able to see out of teammate Karl-Anthony Towns, who is grieving right now over the loss of his mother but still showed out to the press conference with Stephen Jackson.
A ridiculously powerful image of Karl-Anthony Towns, who is still out there showing support for George Floyd despite recently losing his mother to COVID-19. He has proven to be a leader in his community and should be applauded for his tenacity and resilience. Salute, @KarlTowns. https://t.co/mvAMxglyft
JO: It was crazy. A couple days before the event, I reached out to Karl. I was like, what’s up man? It’s okay if you don’t want to come to the press conference. I can represent us all. To see him still show up to that man, it was huge. It was crazy because I can’t imagine being in his shoes and see me step out of my family’s comfort to support another cause. I have the utmost respect for him. It shows you the kind of person he is.
One thing that I’m also interested in discussing is the support that your coach Ryan Saunders has shown as well.
Habershow pod with Timberwolves head coach Ryan Saunders on speaking up, growing up in Minneapolis and seeing Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Okogie stand up for George Floyd. https://t.co/2334nzpVyNpic.twitter.com/oHmkIxPEjD
JO: Yeah, Coach has been great. The whole organization top to bottom has been great, from president Gersson Rosas to the last person in the front office, they’ve been great. One thing I would say that I commend them for is opening up the floor for conversation. I remember when this whole first incident happened, we had a Zoom call. They opened the floor for everybody in order to share their grievances and their viewpoints. They themselves want to get a better understanding of how it is to feel as a black person. They were very understanding, and they were willing to listen. It’s been great because it gives you more motivation and more confidence to go out and do these things in the community. All while knowing that they have your back. Even when I did the community outreach, when we gave supplies to the community, Coach Ryan was right there with us in helping out the community. It’s huge, and it shows that they’re on board for this fight.
I think that’s so special, and it’s really wonderful to hear. What are some of those conversations that you’ve had with your team over Zoom?
JO: Everybody’s very frustrated. Everybody’s a little upset. Everybody’s a little down. As long as we have each other and can pick each other up, we can fight for change. I think that’s what helps us to keep going.
I’d love to hear a little bit about some of the other ways that fans can get involved. What are some ways that people who are watching this right now can help amplify your voice and follow whatever your message would be.
JO: I think the biggest thing for anybody is that we have to, as a community and as a whole, start holding everybody accountable. We can’t turn a blind eye to this issue anymore. If we see somebody speaking or saying things that they’re not supposed to say in terms of being racist or unequal, then we have to address it. We have to be able to nip it in the bud. We have to create a fence that separates people into two groups. One side is for everybody and the other is for racism. We have to start to weed people out. We can no longer straddle the fence anymore. As a society, I think we have to hold ourselves to a standard. We have to hold everyone accountable. If something is wrong, then it’s wrong. If something is right, then it’s right.
You’ve been in Minnesota where a lot of this is happening right now. I’d love to hear about any of any sights or sounds that really have stood out for you.
JO: I think the biggest thing I can take away from this whole thing is just what a different time it is. I’m 21. I haven’t been around long, but it’s the first time that I’ve seen everybody, in terms of different races, coming together to fight for Black people. I know when Martin Luther King marched, there were white people and white Americans and different races marching with them. But I go out now and look at some of these protests and there are more white people than Black people. I’ve never seen that before. When I went to the memorial and when Reverend Al Sharpton spoke, he said something to me as well. He even alluded to it. He said: this is a different time. He said back in the day when he used to March, he would see a white counterpart come up to him, use the n-word, and tell him to go home. He was saying that last week he was at the airport talking to somebody, and a young white lady grabbed his suit and told him no justice, no peace. That moment in itself told him that it’s a different time, and it’s the time for a change. The one thing I take away from this is that we have people now that are fighting for us.
I think that more than ever, we’re seeing the basketball community get involved. What has seeing all of that meant for you personally?
JO: I feel like it’s kind of my duty to speak out in terms of issues like these. 100 percent of the time, these people that we’re fighting for are the people who pay for our tickets and come watch our game. The least we could do is, when they’re crying for help, we can use our platform to cry with them and to demand certain things. I think that’s really my take on this. I’m trying to fight for the people who helped me. I’m not only helping them because they’ve helped me, but I’m also part of the Black community. I’m using my platform to try and make a change.
Former NBA star Stephen Jackson has pledged to support six-year-old Gianna Floyd, daughter of George Floyd.
The family of George Floyd spoke out on Tuesday and called for justice at Minneapolis City Hall following his death in police custody on May 25th. Standing beside her six-year-old daughter Gianna, her mother Roxie Washington said that she “wanted everybody to know that this is what those officers took.”
Former NBA star Stephen Jackson, a close friend of George Floyd’s who has called Floyd his “twin,” has vowed to support Gianna as she grows up. In a heartrending video that quickly went viral, Gianna sat on Jackson’s shoulders in Minneapolis and declared that her father “changed the world.”
Stephen Jackson holding up George Floyd’s daughter, Gianna, as she says “Daddy changed the world.”
“There’s a lot of stuff you said that he’s gonna miss — that I’m gonna be there for. I’m gonna walk her down the aisle. I’m gonna be there for her. I’m gonna be here to wipe your tears. I’m gonna be here for you and Gigi. Floyd might not be here, but I’m here for her, I’m here to get justice, and we’re gonna get justice for my brother.”
More than 165,000 people have donated to the George Floyd Memorial Fund, an online fundraiser started by Floyd’s brother, Philonise Floyd. In six days, more than $11.3 million has been raised to support the Floyd family.
“They’re not going to demean the character of George Floyd”
Stephen Jackson has been one of the most visible faces on the front lines in Minneapolis protesting the death of George Floyd after he was killed by a police officer earlier this week.
Jackson was a close friend of Floyd’s. He called him his “twin” and his brother. They knew each other from Jackson’s time growing up in Houston.
Protestors held a press conference in Minneapolis on Friday afternoon to make their demands, concerns and gripes surrounding Floyd’s death and the treatment of African Americans in their community clear. Jackson took part in that press conference.
He shared some incredibly powerful words about Floyd’s death and how he’s been treated. Take a listen.
WARNING: There’s some NSFW language included in this video.
“I’m here because they’re not going to demean the character of George Floyd — my twin. A lot of times when police do things they know that’s wrong, the first thing they try to do is cover it up and bring up your background to make it seem like the b******* that they did was worth it. When was murder ever worth it?”
“You get an opportunity to move away from the environment that brought you down. You get away, you be successful, get a job, your life starts turning in the right direction. You stumble a little bit again. It’s not worth your life, though. You stumble a little bit again, and you end up on the ground with a knee in your neck. Screaming your momma’s name, screaming your kid’s name. Going to the bathroom on yourself. Imagine if he was white. Ponder that for a minute. Imagine if he was white.”
Stephen Jackson, who said he grew up with George Floyd, shared remarks in Minnesota on Friday after protests and riots erupted.
Former Golden State Warriors Stephen Jackson led a speech Friday about George Floyd, whose death at the hands of police has led to protests and riots throughout the country calling for the officer’s arrest.
Floyd, accused of forgery, died Monday after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for about eight minutes despite pleas from Floyd, who was handcuffed, that he couldn’t breathe. The four officers involved were fired and Chauvin was arrested Friday.
Jackson told the TODAY Show that he and Floyd grew up together in Houston and were longtime friends.
In Minnesota on Friday, Jackson lamented the death of his “twin” at an event with Jamie Foxx and NBA players including Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Okogie, Gary Trent Jr. and Royce White, according to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski.
“They’re not going to demean the character of George Floyd. My twin,” Jackson said. “A lot of times when police do things that they know that’s wrong, the first thing they try to do is cover it up and bring up your background to make it seem like the (expletive) that they did was worth it.
“When was murder ever worth it?
“But if it’s a black man, it’s approved.
“You can’t tell me when that man had his knee on my brother’s neck, taking his life away, with his hand in his pocket, that that smirk on his face didn’t say ‘I’m protecting you.'”
“Given there’s no answers, we gotta come up with our own answers. And we’re willing to do that. Understand that. We’re willing to do that. We’re going to use our platform,” he said. I’m gonna use everything I have to get a conviction. To get all these (expletives) in jail. Excuse my french, I’m angry. but I’m a proud black man.”
“Imagine this. A man growing up in an area where the odds are already against him. Trying to figure it out. You know they say experience is the best teacher, so you’re gonna make mistakes. Everybody gonna make mistakes. You make some bad decisions. It happens. We all make bad decisions, right? We make bad decisions. Even being successful, I’ve made bad decisions. Right? You get to a point where you make a bad decision and you end up suffering for it. … You rehabilitate yourself. You have relationships with people where you’re able to get away and try to better your life, right, because you’ve been in the system. All they tell you, the only way you can get out is if you rehabilitate yourself. And when you rehabilitate yourself, you get out, and you’re still treated like a criminal.
“Stay with me now. Envision that. You get an opportunity to move away from the environment that brought you down. You get away, you be successful. You get a job, your life starts turning in the right direction. You stumble a little bit again. That’s not worth your life, though. You stumble a little bit again and you end up on the ground with a knee in your neck. Screaming your mama’s name, screaming your kids’ names. Going to the bathroom on yourself.
“Imagine if he was white. Ponder that for a minute. Imagine if he was white.”
“You can’t tell me that he didn’t feel that it was his duty to murder my brother and that he knew he was going to get away with it. You can’t tell me that wasn’t the look on his face.
“We’ve seen it so many times, so many times, and we see it right in our face that we don’t get no justice.”
George Floyd’s death while in police custody on Monday has stirred up a massive public outcry against police brutality both in Minneapolis where it happened and across the country.
The four officers who arrested Floyd have yet to be publicly identified but have since been fired by the Minneapolis police department.
One of the people who was deeply affected by Floyd’s death was former NBA star Stephen Jackson, who grew up in Texas — Floyd was a Houston native.
In an Instagram post on Tuesday, a visibly upset Jackson explained that he was close friends with Floyd and even called him his “twin” (WARNING: There’s some NSFW language ahead).
This is what I gotta wake up to. Floyd was my brother, man. We called each other “Twin,” bruh. Everybody know me and Floyd called each other “Twin.” My brother was only out there in Minnesota, he was changing his life, he went to Minnesota, he was driving trucks. I just sent him two, three boxes of clothes. My boy was doing what he was supposed to do, man, and y’all go kill my brother, man. I’m on my way to Minnesota, man. Whatever I can do, can’t let this ride, dog. Y’all not going to be mad until it hits you front door. Bull (expletive).”
Jackson followed up by posting photos of Floyd on his Instagram account:
Anthony Davis is the most talented teammate LeBron James has ever had, Stephen Jackson said on the Bill Simmons podcast.
Before the season started, former NBA player Stephen Jackson thought the Los Angeles Lakers were going to win the title.
That belief didn’t waver as the year went on, and when league play shuttered to a stop in mid-March, Jackson felt the same way.
On the Bill Simmons Podcast on Friday, Jackson said he thinks that if the season resumes, the Lakers will win the NBA Finals.
The reason: LeBron James has never had a partner like Anthony Davis.
“I called Anthony Davis Tim Duncan on steroids because Tim wasn’t athletic and he didn’t shoot 3s,” Jackson said.
That’s not to take anything away Jackson’s former teammate Duncan, a five-time champion who is widely regarded as the best power forward in league history.
But Davis is attempting 3.5 3-pointers per game this season, by far the most in his career. His percentage hasn’t dropped off either, still making about a third of his attempts.
Nobody has ever averaged at least 25 points, 2.0 blocks, 1.0 steals and 1.0 3-pointers per game in a season, according to Basketball Reference.
With averages of 26.7 points, 2.4 blocks, 1.5 steals and 1.2 3s, Davis is on pace to crush those marks.
With his scoring, rebounding and defense, Davis is a two-way big that James had never had as a teammate.
“I just haven’t seen LeBron with that dynamic of a big man like Anthony Davis,” Jackson said. “I never seen LeBron with a guy with that much talent.”
The only team that could legitimately challenge the Lakers, Jackson thinks, is the Clippers.
“If anybody gave them a chance, it would’ve been the Clippers,” Jackson said. “The only way they can beat them is by punking them and the Clippers have that capability.”
Matt Barnes thinks the Clippers have the edge in a matchup. Jackson’s co-host of the “All The Smoke” podcast, Barnes appeared on Simmons’ pod, too.
“They had a cage full of dogs,” Barnes said. “Adding the Morris twin at the end, Kawhi (Leonard) and Paul (George) are going to do their thing, but to me they had so much more chemistry and camaraderie as a team.”
Boston Celtics All-Star swingman Jayson Tatum shared how he nearly backed out of the workout that sold Danny Ainge on drafting him and more in a new interview.
Boston Celtics All-Star swingman Jayson Tatum appeared on the popular podcast “All the Smoke” Monday, and gave a wide-ranging interview to former NBAers-turned-podcast-hosts Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson.
As one might imagine, life in pandemic was a necessary prelude, but the trio spent little time speaking on quotidian issues early.
Salient points by now quite familiar to Celtics fans were addressed, from working out at home to getting a hoop to shoot on to waiting for test results were discussed as they have been several times now.
But soon things got interesting.
Barnes revealed the extent of Tatum and childhood friend and Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal’s food drive for Boston and St. Louis, Missouri — Beal and Tatum’s hometown — which raised nearly $300,000 to help feed locals struggling through the pandemic.
“I was sitting here with my mom, we was thinking of a way that we could help and give back to where I’m from,” began the Missourian forward.
“And, you know, for me, that’s all I’m always thinking about what can I do for the people back home in St. Louis, because — for those that don’t know, St. Louis, it’s not like any other one of those big cities, a lot of people from St. Louis, we don’t come from much, we don’t have a lot and growing up, we all kind of grew up in the same area.”
So, Brad [Beal] is another person that really helps and gives back to St. Louis, and he’s like my big brother,” Tatum added.
Beal was very much on board, ready to help the local population struggling to make ends meet as they are in much of the U.S. these days.
On the topic of the 2020 Naismith Hall of Fame class including Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Tamika Catchings, the Duke product related it to “The Last Dance” — perhaps unsurprising given the ubiquity of the ESPN documentary in basketball culture at the moment.
“For me, especially watching this [Michael] Jordan documentary and hearing people like around you guys age and older, how my dad talked about Jordan really made me realize … that was Kobe for me. Kobe was my Jordan and he was the reason I started playing basketball.”
I had all the jerseys, all the shoes I wanted to be just like him so, Kobe was Jordan for me,” he finished.
Garnett talks Kobe, Wolves, banners and more in Hall of Fame interview https://t.co/2a7oIlimDC
Tatum’s father Justin was evidently more a fan of another member of this year’s Hall of Fame class, though.
“Kevin Garnett was my dad’s favorite player. So I remember anytime anytime the Celtics played the Suns and him and Mr. Stoudamire matched up, my pops would call me like. ‘Yo, turn on TV — there’s two animals playing against each other.”
Tatum also discussed becoming a Jordan Brand player, which his agent arranged in 2019. After the details were settled, there was a Jordan Brand group trip to France, and Tatum described getting to know the man himself at a dinner.
They had exchanged words briefly earlier in the day at media events, but didn’t really have a chance to talk much.
In the evening, however, Jordan Brand athletes convened for a dinner in a more conversational environment, and Tatum related how he made an impression on the basketball legend.
“Melo [Anthony] was there. Blake [Griffin] was there. Russ [Westbrook], Spike Lee … everybody was there,” he related. “So … I’m still nervous, right?”
“I walk in, and MJ is sitting down, his wife [was] next to him and Spike next to her. So I walk in, and I was going go say what’s up before I sit down … Then, I walk over to him and like my hands are sweating. And I was like, ‘What’s up, Mike?’; when I went to go shake his hand, I knocked over his wine glass on the table and it broke.”
Tatum is not, of course, the first person to get nerves upon meeting the NBA icon, and probably is far from being the last. But the revelation drew chuckles from Barnes and Jackson just the same.
Discussion shifted to the Duke product’s college days under coach Mike Krzyzewski, touching on everything from the Cameron Crazies camping out for weeks just to get home tickets to home games to Tatum’s feelings about recent NCAA debates on allowing students to profit off of their likenesses.
“I think you should be able to make money off your likeness,” offered the St. Louis native.
“If I was at Duke and I want to say ‘Hey, I want to host the autograph session on Saturday for three hours and $50-25 a signature, I feel like you should be able to do that,” he added.
It might surprise Boston fans to hear that during the draft process, the former Blue Devil was sold on living in Arizona after thinking he’d be drafted by the Phoenix Suns, and had to be coaxed by coach K to make it to a workout with the Celtics, though.
Noting it was mostly a foregone conclusion that guard Markelle Fultz would go No. 1 overall, Tatum also didn’t bother working out with the Los Angeles Lakers, with that franchise making it clear they planned to draft point guard Lonzo Ball.
But after meeting coach Earl Watson and touring the greater Phoenix area, he fell hard for the city and had already started thinking about getting a home there with his mother.
Afterwards, Tatum returned home to St. Louis briefly before heading to New York for the draft, and his agent called, saying “Danny Ainge called and said they’re gonna trade their pick,” according to Tatum. “They’re going to go to three and they want you to come to Boston in the next day to work out.”
There was plenty of fascinating #Celtics stuff coming out of #SSAC18 this weekend. First up on @TheCelticsWire, Director of Player Personnel Austin Ainge shed some light on to the team’s decision making process behind drafting Jaylen Brown & Jayson Tatum. https://t.co/TzoOYy0ACs
“I’m like, ‘Nah, I don’t want to go to Boston — I like it out here in Phoenix; it’s cool. The weather’s nice. I get a big house. I get a pool … he’s like ‘Brad Stevens is a great young coach, and they’ve got a great history,'” he said.
“I’m like, ‘I’m not trying to hear it. I want to go to Phoenix.’ My agent’s like, ‘Just think about it.’ And then, we hang up. I’m like, I’m not going to this workout. Like, I’m cool. Then, Coach K called me right after my agent did. He’s like ‘Jayson, the Celtics called; they want you to come work out. I think Brad Stevens is a great coach and it’s a great place to be. You’ll learn a lot.'”
“So, I go,” he added.
Tatum would workout with the Celtics, and Ainge and the rest of the office became convinced he was their guy as a result. They took the Duke product with the third overall pick of course, and the rest is history.
“When I finally heard my name called, it was by far the best day of my life, because this is what I’ve been working for for 16 years,” he explained.
“But [there] was a part of me that didn’t really want to go to Boston, because they just was the number one team in the East. They had Isaiah Thomas, Al Horford, [Marcus] Smart, [Jaylen Brown], Jae Crowder. I was like, ´’I’m not going to play — I’m trying to get buckets.”
How does he feel about that now, though?
“Everything worked out,” he said with a laugh.
The interview is over an hour long, and full of far too many gems to list here; listen for yourself in the episode embedded above, or subscribe via however you usually listen to podcasts — for Celtics fans, this episode is a must-listen.
Stephen Jackson played a pivotal role in the “We Believe” Warriors’ series victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
The Golden State Warriors had a magical first-round playoff series in 2007, and Stephen Jackson was at the center of it.
The Warriors defeated the Dallas Mavericks in six games, and they are one of five teams in NBA history to take down a No. 1 seed. Jackson, who had been traded to the Warriors in the middle of the season, was playing his seventh year in the league.
He won a championship in 2003 with the San Antonio Spurs, and he had made three playoff appearances before joining Golden State.
His experience and quality play was pivotal for the Warriors’ historic victory. Jackson was second on the team in scoring, right behind Baron Davis.
That 2006-07 season was one of Davis’ best, as he averaged 20.1 points per game — the third-highest scoring average of his career — and he dished 8.1 assists a game.
Jackson had the highest 3-point percentage on the Warriors in that series, shooting at a 47.5% clip. Davis arguably was the team’s best player, averaging 25.0 points per game on 54.0% shooting.
13 years ago today, the No. 8 seed 'We Believe' Warriors eliminated the No. 1 seed Mavs in the 2007 Playoffs.
But Jackson had two games where he was one of the top players on the floor.
Jackson scored a game-high 30 points during Game 2, and he grabbed three rebounds and shot 42.9% from the 3-point line. He had his best playoff game ever during the series’ elimination game. He scored a playoff career-high 33 points, and he shot 7-of-8 from the 3-point line.
He averaged 22.8 points per game, 4.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists during the series. He also led the Warriors in steals per game (2.0), and was second in assists behind Davis.
(2007) 11 years ago today, the Warriors became the first 8 seed to defeat a 1 seed in a 7-game series. Stephen Jackson led Golden State with 33 points and Dirk was held to 8 points. pic.twitter.com/1xH2uv0ShM
With his first season in Golden State a success, Jackson built on it in the years after.
Playing a total of 14 seasons, Jackson had his best years in the Bay Area. He averaged 19.4 points per game with the Warriors, the highest scoring average of any team he played with. He also shot 34.8% from deep while with Golden State, the best he shot from the 3-point line with any team in his career.
Aside from his playoff success in the Bay, Jackson also enjoyed success there in the regular season.
He scored a game-high 41 points in February 2008, when the Warriors defeated the Washington Wizards, 120-117. Jackson shot 61.1% from the field and 44.4% from deep. He also made a career-high 15 free throws, only missing two of his 17 attempts from the line.
Though he ended his career a journeyman, playing for eight teams, Jackson should be remembered for what he accomplished with the Warriors.
The “We Believe” Warriors weren’t the juggernaut Golden State has been recently, but because of Jackson and others, they were surely an entertaining team to watch.
On the anniversary of the “We Believe” Warriors eliminating the Dallas Mavericks in the 2007 playoffs, Jason Richardson gave a shoutout to “Dub Nation.”
Thirteen years later, the Golden State Warriors playoff win over the Dallas Mavericks still holds a special place in NBA history.
In 2007, Don Nelson’s Warriors squad tore through the final quarter of the season to earn the last playoff bid in the Western Conference. The Warriors won nine of their final 10 games for a chance to play the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks to start the 2007 playoffs.
Led by Most Valuable Player candidate Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavericks streaked to the best record in the association with 67 victories. However, the Golden State Warriors started their postseason run playing the role of spoiler.
Baron Davis set the tone in the opening game, racking up 33 points and 14 rebounds. Stephen Jackson landed the final blow in game six with 33 points on 7-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc. The Warriors put an exclamation point on their upset bid, eliminating the Mavericks with a 111-86 victory in Oakland for game six.
The Warriors became just the third eighth-seeded squad in NBA playoff history to knock out the top seed.
On the anniversary of the Warriors’ underdog postseason win, a vital figure of the “We Believe” run chimed in on social media. Jason Richardson gave a shout-out to “Dub Nation” on Twitter.
Against the Mavericks in the playoffs, Richardson tallied 19.5 points in 51.1% shooting with 6.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 40 minutes per game. “J-Rich” led the Warriors to a game three win at Oracle Arena with 30 points and eight rebounds.
Despite being eliminated in the next round by the Utah Jazz, Richardson and the rest of the cast from the We Believe Warriors cemented their place in Golden State lore.
