ESPN REPORT: The Golden State Warriors Head Coach is Being Fired Due to….
Oakland, California Mark Jackson was sacked by the Golden State Warriors, bringing an end to his most prosperous and distracting coaching tenure in the previous 20 years for the team.
In a statement released on Tuesday, general manager Bob Myers praised Jackson for “his role in helping elevate this team into a better position than it was when he arrived nearly 36 months ago.”
Though Myers acknowledged that the Warriors had made a difficult choice, they “simply feel it’s best to move in a different direction at this time.”
In a statement to ESPN, Jackson said, “I am grateful to the Warriors organization for the opportunity you provided me with.” “Many thanks to all of the wonderful fans for your support! I’m grateful to my players! whoever I cherish! Together, we accomplished a great deal! All of you have my warmest wishes! God be praised.”
Steve Kerr and Stan Van Gundy would be at the top of Golden State’s search list if Jackson were fired, according to a story published on Sunday by Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com received confirmation from a league source that Kerr had already been approached by the Warriors. According to league sources who spoke with ESPN, the Warriors are also anticipated to speak with former Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins.
Due to the TNT broadcaster’s strong relationship with the new team president, Phil Jackson, the New York Knicks are still the front-runners to sign Kerr, according to people familiar with the situation. However, Kerr also maintains close ties with Rick Welts, the team president, and Joe Lacob, the owner of the Warriors, with whom he was employed in Phoenix.
Although sources claim that the Warriors, like the Minnesota Timberwolves, are skeptical of their ability to entice Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg away from his alma university, the San Jose Mercury News revealed over the weekend that the Warriors have a serious interest in him.
Jackson finished three seasons with the Warriors with a record of 121-109. His time there will be remembered for both the audacious and brash way he helped transform a team that had been losing all season into a regular victor.
Despite his assurance that Golden State will qualify for the playoffs in his first season, the Warriors ended the NBA labor impasse with a 23-43 record. They were 51-31 this season before falling to the Los Angeles Clippers in the opening round. They finished 47-35 the previous year and had an unforgettable run to the second round of the playoffs.
Since 1990–91 and 1991–92, the Warriors had not qualified for the postseason in back-to-back seasons. Before Jackson, they had only once in 17 years made it to the playoffs.
“Obviously (the decision) was not made exclusively on wins and losses,” Lacob stated.
Lacob likened the choice to remove Jackson to his role as a Silicon Valley venture capitalist.
“There’s a different CEO that may be required to achieve success at different stages of an organization’s development,” Lacob stated. “It’s one thing to be a startup, another to be a small-growth company, and yet another to be a mature company aiming to achieve a billion in sales, or in this case, win an NBA championship. Maybe that’s a different individual. And we simply believed that we required a new individual altogether.”
The Warriors are now in a position to compete for several years behind a solid young core anchored by point guard Stephen Curry, thanks to the support of Jackson, Myers, and an ownership group lead by Lacob.
Curry said in a statement, “Coach Jackson has challenged me as a player and as a person over the last three years.” “His wisdom and direction have enabled each of us to advance in this league… I’m really grateful to him for everything he did for me. As he moves on to the next chapter, I send him my best wishes.”
When Lacob hired Jackson in June 2011, he was a former NBA point guard who had played his finest seasons with the Indiana Pacers and the Knicks. Prior to this, Jackson had never had a head coaching position at any level. Aside from the court, Jackson was an ordained pastor. He frequently discussed his Christian faith and made the commitment to make the Warriors a top defensive club in the NBA and a consistent postseason competitor, which he accomplished.
However, Jackson’s exuberant nature occasionally did not sit well with the Warriors’ management, staff, and players (to a much lesser degree). The majority of the players, particularly Curry, expressed their desire for Jackson to return. Jackson’s behavior, which verged on arrogance and assurance, may have finally cost him the position.
Jackson was under pressure to sign a long-term contract, but the Warriors chose to exercise his contract option for the 2014–15 season instead of doing so last summer. Following the departure of top assistant Michael Malone, who had multiple falling outs with Jackson, to take a coaching position with the Sacramento Kings, management also pushed Jackson to appoint a capable tactician.
Rather, Jackson hired Lindsey Hunter and Brian Scalabrine and promoted Pete Myers and other aides. Although there were sporadic allegations of divisions among the club, Jackson countered the notion that he had created a dysfunctional workplace by firing two assistants in a 12-day period prior to the playoffs.
As the Warriors’ coach, Mark Jackson had three prosperous but harsh seasons with a record of 121-109. Getty Images/Rocky Widner
On March 25, Scalabrine was moved to the Warriors’ Development League club in Santa Cruz due to what Jackson described as a “difference in philosophies.” Then, on April 5, the Warriors dismissed Darren Erman for allegedly secretly recording talks between coaches and players as well as coach-coach sessions.
Beyond this season, Lacob—who, along with Peter Guber, purchased the Warriors for an NBA record $450 million in 2010—never openly backed Jackson. The squad was plagued by persistent uncertainty throughout the season as a result of the lack of support.
Lacob was more than irritated by a number of home defeats to lower-tier teams, which also denied the Warriors the opportunity to secure a higher postseason seed in the West than they did the previous year, when they defeated Denver in the opening round before losing to San Antonio. Even with center Andrew Bogut sidelined due to a fractured right rib, the Warriors persevered and demonstrated flexibility in forcing the third-seeded Clippers into seven games.
