Mark Jackson | Ep 27 | ALL THE SMOKE Full Episode | #StayHome with SHOWTIME Basketball

I'm coming to you from Los Angeles. Jack's coming to you from the A t L. We got a special guest today, Man Um last name, one of the one of the greatest assist men of all time, former Golden State Warrior head coach Um and now to me, one of the best basketball and listing minds Um in the game. That's new name the Mind. Him and uh Jeff Van Gundy's chemistry is ship similar to me and Jack's. I love watching them do so. Man special welcome and special

thanks to Mark Jackson. I just get your new nickname, O g the Mind. I just give you a new nickname, The Mind. I did hear that. I appreciate that. I like that. How are you staying busy? Obviously is your family safe? And how are you staying busy during this time. Yeah, thanks for asking and create the same goals for you

guys and your families. But just a lot of quality time just hanging at the house, spending time watching shows and beating them in spades, but just just enjoying the time that we have as a family to be together. It's a tough time for everybody, but just too shell pass. Absolutely we uh you know, Jack and I spoke on this too. You know, we're just enjoying the downtime being around our loved ones. Because even though obviously we played,

we all played long careers. We're all still in this next kind of analysts broadcasting business that we're traveling across the country all the time. So it's it's good to kind of sit down. Uh. It's an unfortunate situation and reason why, but just the fact to be able to sit down and spend time with our family has been

amazing for me as well. Well, you think about it, we go our whole careers waiting for the opportunity to one day retire finished playing, and we think we're gonna settle down, and all of a sudden, I'm running all around the country being an analysts, and you guys now with a big time TV show and doing a heck of a job. But you're all over the place, So this is a good time to spend around the family and just you know, enjoy the kids. Absolutely talk to

us a little bit. Uh. The difference between being an analyst now um and being a head coach in the NBA, Well, the big difference is the competitive edge. As an analyst, I'm winning every single night. When lose a draw, I'm not mad. I don't have to worry about making adjustments anything like that. As a coach, you're you're always thinking, even even when you're winning, you're thinking, how can we

get better? What did we do that maybe one tonight's game, but won't win a game against you know, the Clippers are the Lakers, are the Bucks. So you're constantly thinking about getting better. So I don't have that competitive edge leaving the arena that I used to as a playoff as a coach, uh, And that's refreshing, but also out of the game that I truly missed some nights. You know you might not. We all make mistakes and we all don't have our best days on TV. But some

nights do you feel like hard on yourself? But you don't have your best nights calling the game. No, because I always think, you know, I'm fortunate enough, as you guys can attest to, I'm playing with greatness, so and I'm slaying beside Jeff Van Gundy and Mike Breen. They do a tremendous job of carrying the load of making sure we pick each other up. So we're a total team. So night in the night out, we always think we could have done something better, but we truly enjoyed one

another and how we pick each other up. Yeah, we enjoyed that too. You recently just mentioned, uh that you kind of missed that competitive edge a little bit from coaching. Is we kind of on the outside, This is us speaking. We kind of feel like you've been blackballed from coaching. Um, you don't. You don't have to use that word. Like I said, that's how Jack and I feel. What are your thoughts because to me, like I said in the opening,

you're one of the best basketball minds I've heard. Uh, you know, you were a floor leader since you can remember a point guard general, you have so much to give to the game. But I just don't feel like you'd be given a fair shake. Um, as far as being the NBA head coach, well, I appreciate the love that you guys have expressed. Uh either I watched it, heard it, or heard about it, So I don't take it for granted, and I truly appreciate it. Um. With

that being said, I'm a guy with tremendous faith. I'm not gonna slip my wrist if I never coach again, because I believe what the Bible says as fall is if you do what you're supposed to do, it's a promise from God that I will not withhold any good thing from you. So if I'm not coaching, that means it's not good as long as I'm doing what I'm

supposed to do. I truly believe that today will come when I have the opportunity to, you know, to walk the sidelines again and lead a basketball team for three years in Golden State at the time of my life, impacting players, developing relationships, and changing the culture. And I truly was blessed to do that and I look forward to the opportunity to do it again. I don't believe that no man can blackfall me. That door will open up and the opportunity will present itself. I'll be locked

and loaded and fully prepared to finish the task. That's a fashion. That's a fashion for me to hear man, because you know, you know, like Matt said, we've been to guys have been fighting for you all this time. And and to hear I appiece you wire with it and to and to understand I'm big in faith, to to understand, you know, my faith controls everything. To hear you say it like that, you know, I'm kind of calm do with how things are going now. I just look at it like he's been too good to me.

At the end of the day, I got fired, and twenty four hours later I was signed to go back to ESPN and call the NBA Finals. So it wasn't like I had the opportunity to sit back and say, man, what is going on, How I'm gonna pay this bill, I'm gonna do that, or what I'm gonna do now. Before I even was fired, I had another opportunity to go back to to what I was once doing and be with friends that I have for life. That's amazing.

You touched on um changing culture and Golden State. You know, Jack and I played on the We Believe team that made a cute a cool run there, and then they kind of went back to being bad again. And you came along and completely changed the mindset, the culture, the focus. And I've seen it coming up because I was with I was with the Clippers, so it was almost kind of like, we're a little bit of a big brother

to you guys. But we would see every time we played you guys like these young motherfucker's are gonna be good man. They played hard, they lay together, they have fun, they got some young dogs. And I remember when Draymond because Chris was the top point guard at the time, and I remember something Draymond said something like, I'm taking uh, Steph Curry every day, you know, ten out of ten to whatever. He said, like, Steph Curry is my God.

Will give a funk what nobody thinks. And I think that that kind of attitude is something you kind of put on that culture, and we give you a lot of respect for getting that thing start. I know Steph gives you a lot of respect for that as well too. You win in this league with talent, and I was fortunate enough to acquire some incredible talent and continue to improve it with the great organization and great decisions. With that being said, just like you said, we was your

little brothers. We were not ready yet to beat you guys. To me, uh, it takes a process. And you know we went three years only beating the Memphis Grizzlies two or three times in three years because they were more physical, they were more experienced, they were more polished, and they were pros. So it's a process. And what we see today you can point the finger back to to you know, six seven years ago where they were in the jim grinding.

One thing about those guys, they were true professionals. Every one of the guys I coached, they were they bought in from day one. And the culture change. You can say, well, my staff and I played a key role, but you have to have willing basketball players that want to do to work, work to tell off, compete and continue to

get better. And I was blessed in that area. No, it was beautiful to see because like I said, you you laid the foundation, the guys continue to work and then you know, Steve Kerr comes in and I got a chance to play on one of those teams. But just to see the energy, the attitude and like you said, those guys are leaders without you know, no juice aspect anyone.

Those guys can play without a coach. You know, that's how on point they are, how how much they held each other accountable, you know, how just they were about it was. And it was really cool to see and be a part of that and say and saying that that's not taking anything away from Steve Kerr, who's outstanding individual, right and and an incredible basketball mine and an incredible coach. You can say I did a good job and Steve Kerr did a great job both of those things and

can't go inside with one another. So I give a lot of credit the the one puny go ahead, No, I say, that's the one person in the world like people can say. You can say I can coach, and somebody else said I can coach. Somebody else could say I can't coach. The one person be on a shadow of a doubt that can tell you whether somebody can coach is the person that took the job after them because they understand how what they had to teach what

they had. Then still well, when you say to the guy, okay, let's run the floppy action and they don't have a clue. You know, some guys that come from certain coming wrong and the practice. You said, Okay, we're gonna blitz the pick and roll, and they said, huh, they don't know what they're doing. But when you got the right terminology to work, the right work habits and and and you can tell who was taught and who wasn't. So I give I give Steve Kerr a lot of credit. He's

been nothing but fantastic to me. You don't know the floppy offense you behind, you lost, yall, man, y'all start to exactly we're seeing those guys though, Yeah, exactly, No, No, I hope, I hope he didn't come across. It's take another from cry. Think he's great what he's doing. But I think I was just speaking more to the intelligence

of the players, like he said. It's just it was such a fine two machine there, and Steve picked and shows where he needed to, you know, put his influence on his in massaged and let those guys go out there and be great. And and they were one of the one of the best best teams of all time, you know, one of the historical run of dynasty, you

know what I mean. So it was fun to be able to watch and see, like I said, seeing them when I was a Clipper, kind of seeing them as youngsters going through the you know, the hard knocks of what the NBA is about, but seeing what they were about and knowing they were going to be good. Absolutely, Let's take it back to the early eighties in New York and what basketball is like and how much talent came out of that area. Incredible talent, incredible, incredible talent.

I think about my senior year in high school seems like yesterday, but his ninety three and I was fortunate enough to win a state championship, But that that year was I'm not saying that. Historians say it was the greatest uh point guard class in the history of New York City. Pearl Washington a great college high school player and went to Syracuse University and impacted the Big East from day one. Was a point guard in a senior class.

Guy by the name you may know him, Kenny Smith, was at Archbishop Malloyd went on in North Carolina and obviously in the league. The best player as a freshman was a guy by the name of Kenny Hutchinson, who was a six six point guard who started as a freshman and won a city championship in the public school and then went on to play at Arkansas. So four of us, who was the four key guys as far as point guards, uh in New York City, and right

behind us was Roder Strickland. And I mean we were loaded with talented, talented players, but it was it was a fantastic time. And we see each other, you know, during the season, but more importantly in the summer playing pick up ball and playing a U ball and all those things. Uh, just just the battles were legendary, absolutely legendary. So you go to high school New York, go to St. John's, and then you're drafted by the New York Knicks. Tell

me what that experience was like. Well, I'm the only guy that can be claimed by both boroughs Brooklyn and Queens. I was born in Brooklyn. It's crazy, but it's true. I was born in Brooklyn, lived there the first seven years of my life, moved to Queens and then living in Queens, I went to high school an hour and a half away when I went to when I went in Brooklyn, living in Queens. So and then the opportunity to play college basketball in New York City was fantastic.

I went and visited different schools, but the opportunity to play for a guy who sat in front of my mother and father and said, your son will leave this university a better man or a man. And he kept his promise. And that's Hall of Fame coach Lukan a second, And it's funny to me. You guys can relate to this. It's funny to me. I say to my kids. I

got three boys and a girl. But I said to my three boys who played, I want to still playing high school on the other ones finished, but I talked to them about value and the relationship with the high school coach. I got. One high school coach used to coaching two of my sons. Does not speak to me, does not speak to my sons. And I tell you,

I sit at the games and say nothing. To this day, calling my nineties something year old college coach and calling my seventy year old high school coach is at the top of my list. We still call each other. I don't call them by their first name, I don't call them by their last name. I'm fifty five years old and I still call him coach and love them to death. Those are the type of relationships you're supposed to have

if you're truly impacting folks. Right, that's amazing. Let's shift to the NBA right now, Um, it was really starting to shape up. We try to explain to people like Marches that time, you know, the head coach and the former player, that you're really starting to see basketball. You're starting to see chemistry coming together. You know, you're establishing your lineups going into the playoffs. We're seeing some great basketball.

What were your thoughts on where we stand with Lebron and the Acres leading the weston and Janice's team leading the East. Well, it was an exciting time and you guys know as former players, uh, this is when you really begin to get up and you can truly see Lebron James gearing up. We had a Friday Sunday that we had a Friday Sunday game on ESPN and ABC where the Lakers played the Bucks on Friday and then

Sunday they played the Clippers. And we we thought we thought going into it, it was really gonna tell a lot, not just about the teams, but also about Lebron James and Quiet Leonard and and and and and the Greek freak. Uh you could see and the Friday night Lebron had a chip to him, He had an edge to him. And what I love is from the jump as as as former players, I'm looking, Okay, what's the matchup gonna be?

Are we gonna? Are we gonna dodge and duck? Are we're gonna basically sent a message say I got him, and from the opening tip Lebron, James got it Janice, and then on Sunday, from the opening tip got it quielin it and proved that he is still the best player in the world. It was It was great to see and I thought it was it was a time we're gonna turn the corner and began to get the pecking on as far as playoffs concerned, and uh read this thing up to see when playoffs did start, who

was gonna win it all? Oh? It was. It was definitely an exciting time and I love to see he like he really made the honest is night tough. Like it was refreshing to see because I remember at the very beginning of the season, I think Jack, me and you were doing some ESPN stuff together and it was so mad that he didn't go I got a guard Kauai like the first game of the season whatever it was, and I'm like, this is not this is this is

this is a marathon. This is a sprint. He knows when it's gonna be time to turn up and really lock in. And you've always seen him turn his offensive game up at this point of the season. But to see him, you know, dig down and turn up on that defensive end, you know, I remember a d at the begin of the season said, you know he wants he and Lebron to be on the All defensive team.

Now over the stretch of the season, that maybe a lot, but I love to see he could still definitely lock up in one of the best players in the world in your honest that that made me. That made that made me feel good to see that too. Man. You always see Yanna just back people down and put him in the basket. He could not back down. And and and just to see like like like like Mark said, just to see Broun take that challenge and back to back nights, I think that's big. And that was that

was scary for the league. That was real scary and what it really inspires your team because we found no question. If you put a superstar on my team and as a superstar at the same position on the other team, and all of a sudden you don't want to match up. We might not say nothing, but we're sitting there same man's no this dude don't want He don't he don't

want that. Yeah, don't he don't want. But if he took the challenge, and basically you could tell you can see the chip go on the shoulder everybody else in purple and gold because their leader took the challenge. Man, I got the man. Come on, man, that's how Kobe was to love it. I love seeing it. I was excited to see, you know, because everyone's talking. I like the Bucks, and I like the Easts, some teams in the East, But I honestly think it's gonna be the champion is going to come out of l A, you

know what I mean. So it's to me, it's gonna be a beautiful thing if it happens, either the Clippers get their first one or Lebron gets this one, uh you know, sment and and and doing it in Kobe's honor. So I think it's excited and I really hope we get a chance to play out this season. Well, there's a lot of fun and there's great basketball being played,

so I look forward to it. We're getting back to normal, right So what are your thoughts about As Jack and I spoke about it yesterday, I think some people say let's just go right to the playoffs. We knew as former players we need to restart our engines. We need at least seven to ten games to really get back going, you know, Bill, pick up that rhythm, pick up that team chemistry. And then and then going into the playoffs, what are your thoughts one on that? And then should

we still try to be going seven games series? Should we shorten them three out of five in the final seven games? With your thoughts on all that, I'm so nicey justested yesterday in the interview, I was doing a single game elimination, which is absurd to me, That makes no sense. And then I think it's important again, as former players and as a former coach, it's important that we don't go right back to playing basketball, because I don't care what these players are doing around the world

right now. Nothing, Nothing is the same as getting in the gym playing five on five. Nothing you do. They can think they can be on all those machines all day long, is nothing like getting in the gym. So we're gonna need not just those seven or ten games, but we're gonna need seven or ten days of practicing and getting in the gym, because guys aren't gonna be in rhythm, and you're putting guys at risk of also

picking up injuries. But I like the idea of shortening the earlier series, going back to the best out of five or something like that, to make sure that we were able to get all these series in. But I like the idea of playing real basketball and and and and having the playoffs play out once we get back to it. All right, we won't keep you too long, Like I said, we want to have you in studio and really just get down to business. But last thing

we'll leave you with is the state of the Knicks. Um. You know, someone being from there and knowing how much the fans love the team, appreciate the team, and kind of just the rut they're stuck in. What would be your suggestion or our thoughts or any kind of ideas you you can think of to help get that team over the hump, Because I think basketball is better when all of our major cities are relevant in the game, especially the Knicks. Man especially, we all like planning to guard.

And that's all I pay one. I pay the places to play. When the Knicks not going right, it kind of takes a little at the league. Man. It's great for basketball when the Knicks are good, There's no question about that. When they're competing and relevant any major city, but but especially in New York. I think they did the right thing and and and change, making a change. You get a guy like Leon Rose who's a basketball life, knows what he's doing. It's about getting uh and making

the profit decisions by acquiring talent and assets. And I think they're headed in the right direction. Now they have to make continue to make the proper decisions. But there's no question about it. Basketball is at its best when the Knicks are relevant, and it's good for business overall. Absolutely. Last question, who who do you who do you see in the finals? See hoping that everything plays out him

and we're gonna get back to basketball. You know, about about a month ago, Jeff Van Gundy said to me nobody in the East could beat the Bucks, And then about two weeks after that he apologized and said he was wrong that they can be beaten. I think the Celtics are talented and deep enough to beat him. Uh. I think the Bucks are clearly the favorite in the East. But I think you you can't underestimate what Rudy tom Jonovis once said, the heart of a champion in the

Toronto Raptors. There's a reason why they continue to get it done even without Quiet Lennon. That's a dangerous basketball team. So the East will be be very exciting and the West. To me, I think it's it's about matchups. I think that the Lakers and the Clippers are clearly the favorites. I don't I don't like the fact that the Houston Rockets don't have a big man and that they don't uh not a defensive jaggernaut juggernaut, But I do think that they can beat other teams, not name the Clippers.

The Clippers can impose their will against them defensively and match up against them where they put a stop to it. Somebody else might think, what, we can outscore them, and that's when the Houston Rockets are dangerous. So I think it's gonna be exciting, But ultimately I think it comes down to the Lakers and Clippers. The way that it was ending a couple of weeks ago, the Lakers were the better basketball team. But I like the Clippers having three guys that they can give the ball to and

trust that those guys make a play. Whether it's Kwie let It, Paul George or Lou Williams, they can get you a basket or get you a good look. If as the Lakers defensively, I can say, okay, Anthony Davids shooter, turnaround jump shot over me, it would contested hand all. Lebron James shoot a contested three. I don't know if they have, uh, overall, more guys than than one, and Lebron James that can think, get a hoop and make a play on his terms. So that would be the concern.

I said, like the beginning season, excuse me, man I said the same thing in the beginning the season about about Toronto. I felt like without Kawai still had enough experience, championship experience to get out the East and now. And I even said I even had Miami high because I knew with Jimmy, I knew Jimmy would go there and get this team to playing hard, playing with some fireplan, with some passion, and it's starting to work. But I didn't.

I wasn't confident in Milwaukee this year. I mean, they're having a great regular season, but I wasn't confident in them going down the stretch. I don't think they could put it off. And I already told him Lebron bringing the championship on. I really like, I really like to me, it's just disappointed. You think year after year with all the talent Philly has that you know it's time that that process paid off. You know, they were my early pre my early season picks. Who are they? Know, matt Man,

who are they? What are what are they? What is the identity? They don't have an identity. They don't have a true leader, whether that's Ben simm Is not being vocal enough or Joe and b not really embracing because sometimes we all know the best players not necessarily always the leader, and just how it is, and you can't force it. It is what it is, you know what

I mean? So if it just I don't know what their identity is to answer your question, but I really like Boston in the way they're playing, in their chemistry with Kimba, and they have two young stars that, you know, the the leaps that they didn't get a chance to take with Kyrie, they've taken this year again and they've shown their progress. And you've got two guys that can get you twenty five every night easily, but sometimes you know, thirty thirty five, you know what I mean. So I

really like Boston and what they're doing. And then I love Marcus Smart, ultimate glue guy. Um So it's gonna be interesting East. And you know, like I said, scary Houston could beat anybody. They just can. But can they consistent in a seven game series? Is it gonna work with the size? And we're small ball guys. We love small ball. We just also know how hard it is the further you get in the playoffs, you know. So it's gonna be fun, and I hope we get a chance to see it, man, I hope we get a

chance to see it. Oh, you make a good point about Philadelphia. It is a shame that we don't mention them right away, because talent wise, they're good enough not just to win the East, but they can maxiate anybody and win it. But something's not clicking with them. Hopefully they get it right because they have the talent. You don't want the worst thing to do as as players is to look back years later and say what you could have done? Oh yeah, sir, Yeah sir, that's what

That's what we're doing now. Man, that's what we're doing now. But man, hey, thank you for your time. Mark. We appreciate. We pray for you and your family's safety. And like I said, once all this clears up, we got to get you in studio. Man, I look forward to before before we get our o G. Remember the conversation we

had was at our want to put breakfast spot. I told you, if you ever get a coaching job, which I think is gonna happen, and you need your boy to come and straighten some guys out, they save me a spot on that roster. I know. That's the truth I got both of y'all. Man, I appreciate you say roster coaching staff, Jack, you said roster, Yeah, coaches stad let's get theack to the coaching staff is not taking up no motherfucking roster spot. You're doing everything great. You're

off the charts. Love and appreciate You'll appreciate, thank you. Spending some time with this man. God bless you and your family. Man. Thank you. Hey that's a rap uh special Quarantine edition with Mark Jackson, my brother Jack. Good work, good work. Um this episode. You can find a Showtime Basketball YouTube are all platforms streaming podcasts. Oh love, This life was all I ever wanted. I'm not leaving, not yet. I was hoping you say that you gotta hit the streets,

make some money. Paple like us les destroy people like him. Buckle up, get Showtime free at showtime dot com