Just a week ago, Mark Jackson was being considered for various head coaching jobs after being a broadcaster for years on ESPN.
Unfortunately for Jackson, the odds of him getting hired now have hit rock bottom in light of a particularly brutal story about his homophobic behavior in Golden State:
-Extensive reporting on the cult-like “us against them” atmosphere Jackson had cultivated, in which he regularly demeaned the bosses to those with the locker room
-Allegations that Jackson had, in his final days with the team, ramped up the religious rhetoric in ways that were increasingly extreme and divisive
-How Mark had, according to sourcing, accused underlings of “being influenced by the devil,” inspiring Jackson to “lay hands on them to cleanse them of their evil spirits.”
-Two sources relaying that Jackson had referred to Jason Collins and team president Rick Welts, both openly gay, as “penis grabbers” who were “going to hell.”
On ESPN spiking Mark Jackson stories https://t.co/PfNTRY9Si4 pic.twitter.com/k7CA22oegX
— Ethan Strauss (@SherwoodStrauss) May 10, 2022
It’s a horrible look for Jackson, whose future in the NBA world is now in jeopardy. With his past exposed, it also explains why he failed to land a coaching job after his gig in Golden State.
On the other hand, many prominent voices have shown support for Jackson, including Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal, who pushed for the Lakers to hire him as head coach last month:
“Mark Jackson helped build Golden State before Steve Kerr took it to the next level,” Shaq said. “He made it a very sexy brand to watch, so I’m sure he can do that with LeBron [James] and Russ.” (h/t Reuters)
On paper, there is no doubting that Mark Jackson knows basketball. He showed that when he coached the Warriors and shows that constantly when he calls games throughout the season.
The truth is, his controversial past might be enough to close the door on his coaching future for good, no matter how successful his run in Golden State was. He has yet to respond to these allegations, but it will be interesting to see what kind of opportunities surface for him from here on out.
