At State Farm, their focused on the belief that diversity makes safer, stronger, smarter neighborhoods where we're all welcome neighborhoods that are reflective of the culture makers, shakers and movers up tomorrow. To make a better world for our future generations, we must amplify, celebrate, and empower Black creators today. And that's why State Farm is committed to providing services, platforms, and long standing actions to help build strong neighborhoods for
the black community. Because with over nineteen thousand State Farm agents, they reflect the diversity of America. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. At State Farm, they're focused on the belief that diversity makes safer, stronger, smarter neighborhoods. Were all welcome neighborhoods that are reflective of the culture makers, shakers and movers of tomorrow. To make a better world for our future generations, we must amplify, celebrate, and empower
Black creators today. And that's why State Farm is committed to providing services, platforms, and long standing actions to help build strong neighborhoods for the black community. State Farm knows that being good neighbors means uplifting communities wherever their customers find themselves because before the nineteen thousand state farm agents, they reflect the diversity of America like a good neighbor.
State farm is there. Every champion and carry champions to be a champion out of Champion and carry Champion and carry Champion of Champion and carry Champion and carry Champion greatest and sports and entertainmaking naked wicker in the world were vulnerable considered, we come and remove the vail from entertainment elite. It's a difference between what it's real and with the public seats. So here's your favorite celebrities behind
the scenes. It's refreshing up. Then the whole story specific life ought to rendevents to shape the person that you. Henry gotta champion and carry Champion the girl you did it. It's the greatest in sports and entertainment can naked with every champion and carry champions to be a champion of Champion, They carry Champion and they carry carry the people I felt like gave me the most game, the most wisdom, that taught me the most. Who I felt like I
owed something too? Wasn't there? Hey? Everyone, welcome to naked with Carrie Champion. My next guest is a perfect example of what it means to be naked, to tell the truth when you really don't feel like telling the truth because it exposes who you really are. And if you want to sit here and join me on this podcast in your underwear or without clothes on at all and
your birthday suit, do that too. I don't think I can do that because if I'm being honest, which is what I'm going to try to do and vulnerable, I don't want you to see the dimples in my booty. I don't want you to see what I am filtering out, you know, on the Graham. But I am willing to reveal my soul, my spirit, my heart, and to me, that's far more valuable than the physical. And that's what my next guest is going to do. He is going
to tell who he is from top to bottom. And I'm sure, in fact, I promise you it's a lesson in that Sit back, relax, get naked if you like, but pay attention to our next guest as he joins us on the Naked Podcast. My name is Stephen Jesse Jackson. My grandfather's name is Jesse Jackson. So I'm similar just like him. I think I inherited a lot of his traits. Uh. He was the bread. He was the bread one our
family in the backbone. He provided for everybody. And what's funny was the year he passed was my first year in the NBA. So I feel like I inherited that role to protecting and and and provide for the family. I was born and port Art to Texas. Well. Actually I was born in Houston, Texas, our away from port Art, the Texas and uh, I was raised there. So I was about four or five years old and third ward, Texas.
You all know Stephen Jackson as an NBA champion. You know him as a podcaster and analyst, uh and arguably a face of a civil rights movement that changed our However, Stephen Jackson, at his core was a basketball player. He had a natural talent at a very young age, of talent that I'm sure he would say he took for granted. And if it wasn't for folks who noticed that talent in the neighborhood and demanded that he used his talent, he wouldn't be where he is today. Take a listen
to Stephen Jackson talking about his childhood. Well, I started playing basketball when I was four. Um. I remember having a friend named Charlie and he was the kid in the neighborhood that had all the games. You know, he had everything, so all the kids like me and didn't have that used to go to this house at the school and hanging with him and try to play his game and stuff. And his dad he played basketball. They had a y C A team at the time, and I was good on the west side, but my mom
did have money. Nobody had money for me to join the league. So his parents brought me on their team and allowed me to play with them and Perry, the guy named Perry Gobert. Um. I think my first game carry uh. We went to Baumin to player team and to score. The final score the game was forty two to forty four. I had forty two points and my other team they had too. Uh. At that age, people saw something in me. And I'm five years old, so I really don't know what. I'm just playing basketball having
fun as time passed. Millions of times where almost ruined my life, millions of times where I wanted to be at, the millions of times where I almost got arrested, million of times where I almost got shot. My city protected me, and I think as I was growing up and playing basketball, I got to pull my senior in high school. Um we had just won the championship in ninety five and I was supposed to go to oak Kill Academy my senior year. My uh, this is one of the biggest
high high school basketball programs in the country. I didn't want to. Oh. I wanted to stand in the hood, play basketball and winners another state championship with my people. I had no idea thinking about the NBN that my coach and my mom pulled me to the side and basically forced me to go to Okaill Academy. I'm not even thinking, you know, when the school could take me.
At the time, I just wanted to stay with my friends, play basketball and be a normal kid, just not knowing the sending me to Okhill was the best thing for me, where I was able to make the mcdown's game and all types of stuff. I was saying that to say they saw something in me as a teenager that I didn't see. I didn't see the NBA. I didn't even see college. I was saying, survival Cary. I was trying to survive, to see the next day. I was trying to I was trying to hang with my friends, but
not get shot like my friends. You know. It was it was. It was all those type of things that I was dealing with, not even thinking about basketball. But I was blessed to have those people in my life to see further than I could see. Nothing has ever come easy for Stephen Jackson, and he'll tell you that himself. However, uh leaving Arizona not by choice, but because he wasn't
doing what he was to supposed to do. He didn't graduate and enter the draft in a traditional way like the other standouts who had the same exact resume he did. For instance, Kobe Bryant was in his quote unquote draft class, but Stephen Jackson had to take an unlikely route to the NBA. And it was all because he still was fighting with the streets. He couldn't let them go. My
best friend named John Johns arrest in peace. I used to I used to drive back and forth from US to Houston within him a lot of time to do some things for him. So he's getting this house rated by the Drug Task Force. A lot of the people that worked at the Drug Task Force was at our high school game. So they know me and they know my family from the city. His house is getting raided. He's across the street at the neighbor's house and he
calls me. It was like, bro, I need you John, anything, you do the reason why I got on Jordan's right now? Like anything. He's like, they tear my house up in my room, but what they're looking for is not in my room. It's in the front room. I need you to go get it. I'm like, man, please, ain't no way. This is what I'm thinking in my mind. But then again I'm thinking this is this is who feed me right now? You know, I want my brother to look nice if I have the draft party. I want to
look nice. You know, all these things wrong from with through my mind. So I go, I get this girl to bring me. I go over there. I knock on the door. Um, his aunt answers the door and her son is down on the side of it. Just so happened. Uh, isn't his cousin played basketball as well? So when I got in the door and the police ran to the front door, what are you doing here? We know you know what John is tell us my quick, I thought, quick, I'm here to check on his little cousin. He played
basketball with me. I saw the police. I'm just trying to figureut what's going on. We know you line, where's John Johnson? Bad? They went back to the room. As soon as I walk in, I look at this. Up there is e. She looked at me. We're bothing. Know what I'm there for? Grabbed it, put it in my drawers. Run out the door. As I'm walking out to do carry, I'm grabbing the car door. All I hear is Jackson. Immediately my body going the full sweat, soaking with I'm
so nervous. What I have on me carry could have put me in jail for thirty years. He tapped me on my shoulders, like Jackson, we know you know what John Johnson. As I turned around, I'm sweating. He just hands me his card. I take the card, hopping the car, go get John and go to Houston. He gives me ten thousand dollars for that. Now carry. I It was the dumbest thing that I could have ever done in my life, getting ready to go to the NBA. But I wasn't in that mind frame, you know, I was
thinking about that moment. I wasn't you know, I didn't know if I was gonna make it to the draft, you know, and uh, but that was that was probably the craziest thing in the dumbest thing I did at that moment, and the reason why Stephen Jackson says that was the dumbest thing he could have ever done, especially in that moment He's on his way to the league, his life is getting ready to change. Your friend asked for a favor, and that favor leads him to a
very compromising position. If the cops decided to search him in that moment, what do you think would have happened? And if he would have searched me, would have been over with. You would have never heard about Stephen Jackson. And he's right, we would have never heard about Steven Jackson. But we have and he's here today and as he's made his way in the league and become a success, he also talks about those who didn't make it with him. A lot of who he is, a lot of his
naked characteristics have to do with death. He talks about losing his older brother and how that eventually shaped him until the person he is today. My older brother was killed over a girl that he was dating. Three guys jumped in bust his head with pipes where he had eighteen staples in his head. He was, he was a bestman. He wouldn't have lived anyway. You know, um, I think a dad a dad too. After it happened, he died, you know, I got a chance to say something to him,
and he at a tear. He died couple hours after. A big reason for me making it was because of him. A lot of us, a lot of the good and bad stuff I learned from the older brother, talking to girls, smoking weed, sneaking alcohol in the movies, to see menister society and juice. I was with him. I learned everything from him. And I knew the life he was living was because he wanted to see a better life, you know. And and I knew a lot of things my brother
was doing in the streets. A lot of people respecting me because of the stuff he was doing, you know what I mean, whether it was good or bad. They left me alone because of him, And so I knew. I knew his heart carry I knew its hard whether it was you know, he did some things that he shouldn't have done. I knew his hard and I felt like, if I had a chance to make a wife he was alive, I kind of I could have changed some things around. It hurt. My grandfather wasn't there to hurt.
The people I felt like gave me the most game, the most wisdom, that me the most. Who I felt like I owed something too, wasn't there. It hurt, But at the same time, I was happy because you know, it's still my mom, my brother, my stisters, still people. You know, I had two kids at the time when I first got in the NV, so I still have responsibilities. I still have people cared about. But I knew having m had my brother with me, it would just have
been different. I would have been I would have been protected. I wouldn't have to be to protect all the time, you know what I mean. And and that's just the security he gave me. So after a few years of being cut and trying out for different teams in the league and also playing overseas, Stephen Jackson finds himself and the starting lineup in two thousand for the New Jersey Nets. It's a bitter sweet situation care because I get there.
I'm starting the whole first half of the season, I'm leading all rookies and scoring, make the Rookie All Star Game. Come back after the rookie I don't play at all. I don't start, I don't play. I'm like, what did I do? Like? What did I do? You know what I'm saying. And I don't know if they wanted to play their veterans at that time. Byron scott wife was was really like a second mother to me because I
was there. I was eighteen, eighteen nights at the time, nights at a time, and she knew I was young. I was living by myself, so and they and Byron Hunt and Byron Scott had a son at that time that me and he were kind of close. We were the same age, and she really cared to me, like she really care. She took care of me like she treated me like her own son. I don't think Byron
Scott liked that. I don't think he agreed with that, and they're divorced now, but I don't think he agreed with that at the time, And I think that's why he stopped playing me, because it wasn't nobody better than me. At the time. I was young, I was doing my job. I was playing well. But for me to come back fresh from Rookie All Star and not play at all, I knew it was something personal, to the point where I stopped playing. And We're playing in San Antonio Spurs halftime.
I'm just standing over there in my suit and I was in my uniform, and uh, Mike, Mike Brown came up, was like, why you're not playing like man? Your guests as better than mine. Man, I just don't want to say the wrong thing until you coach bron You know I will. He was like, yeah, I know, but keep your head. We come and get you in so many words. And so after that season, I end up playing Summer
League with San Antonio. Uh end up becoming second and scoring behind Dirt the Whiskey in the Utah Summer League, to the point where I bought out so much. Right after the game, Pop pulled me to the side. Stephen Jackson, you can be on this team, you can play, you belong in this league. You can't smoke weed. You can't smoke weed on my team. Jack I'm telling my Pop was clears day with it. Before you even offered me
a contract or anything. I'm looking at you. I know he smoked I hear you smoke, you don't hide it. As soon as I left Pop, I went smoke. Before and after I signed the contract. I smoke care but I had to say what I had to say to get the cheddar. You know what I'm saying here? And uh, but I think Pop, because getting to San Antonio carry I think that's when I became a professional. That's when I learned this game is more than just playing the game. I learned how to prepare. I learned how to be
a man. I learned how to be a professional. I learned how to be a teammate. I learned I learned how to be a better brother to my teammates. In San Antonio. Pap was was like a father figure at some point because you know, all the things that I was doing, I had friends stand with me. You know what I'm saying. The girl I was with at the time wasn't the best for me. And to be honest with you, Pop seeing that as soon as I met it,
he told me she wasn't a want for me. Yes, Pop told me, and um Tim took me in like a big brother, him and him and Steve Steve Smith. They took me in like a big brother on the flip side, David Robinson, his wife. I was going to spend holidays with them, going to church with them. So I had a balance of everything in San Antonio, you know,
I had had a balance to everything. And I think being there be able to play with two Hall of famers and David Robinson, Tim Duncan winning the championship with David robson his last year is on his retirement year, I think that all made me. That was my UH moment where I felt like I belonged here. When once I won that championship and Tim dunkers get called me the ultimate teammate and David gave me credit of all the big shots, I felt like, that's when I find
little rider. That's when I belonged in the NBA, that moment winning that championship. Every champion and carry champion is to be a champion of Champion and carry chappion and carry chapiyon the champion and carry chappion and carry chappion and sports and then the teammate connected. Why is it that the oldest child grows up with the strict rules, but the younger ones always get away with everything. There's no way you would have been allowed to do that.
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was to show the humanity in the culture. I believe we're in the place we are in terms of how America sees Black folks is because they don't see our humanity, and that is what Naked is supposed to do, show who we are from all aspects. State Farm is committed to providing services, platforms, and long standing actions to help build strong neighborhoods for the Black community. Say Farm knows that being good neighbors means uplifting communities wherever their customers
find themselves. They don't just provide a policy, it's a partnership. They're partnering with us here at the Black Effect on the Naked Podcast. With over nineteen thousand State Farm agents, they reflect the diversity of America like a good neighbor. State Farm is there. You know what's happening, everybody. I want to talk to you all about how small businesses are such a big part of our neighborhoods and communities. Think about all the great small businesses we love. For me,
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like a good enighbors. There chepion, they carry chappions. Chempion, they carry cheppion. Che they carry chepion. So here's the irony. Stephen Jackson wins a chip with the Spurs and he becomes, as he just said, a professional. Right, he is now a professional, and I agree with him in so many ways because it really does change your mindset. But after he leaves the Spurs, he goes and placed with the Pacers. And this is arguably what he's known for famously or infamously,
which is the malice and the palace. I asked even to tell us what happened, and only a way in which he can do. The brawl situation was crazy in Detroit. We were playing in Detroit at the time. The previous year. I wasn't on the Pacers. They played in Detroit in the Eastern Conference Finals. It was a big robbery that was almost fighting, went the blows and he trieded to
win him. The next year, we were the favorite because this is my first time on his team and added me to this team made the roster so much better that we had that one of the top teams and they would say we're gonna with a championship where that game was a big game and it was a statement game and it was on TV. Come to fourth quarter, we're blowing him out. We're up by fifteen twenty. We all had good games. We're talking ship carry. It's gonna be alone, yea, y'all, Yeah, y'all, y'all run last year
a little bit. But you know we're talking cash craft Ron and being going at it, you know, because had words or whatever. So it got to point where I'm at the free throw line fifteen fifteen, probably forty five seconds left, something like that carried. I shoot a free throw first three, that free through, I'll make it. I step back to give Ron and Jamal Tensiley five. As I do that, I hear Jamal say you can get
your file back wrong. Remember I didn't play with him in the Finals the previous yet, so I really didn't know what that meant. But any time I've been on that team long enough, any time you give Ron I'll put a battery in this bag, or give any type of confidence to do something dumb, he gonna do it. Here's Oats explaining why he has bee forbid Wallace, Me and Ben Wallace beef as basketball. He's getting defensive player in the years and I want that simple right. Yeah, Yeah,
I was gonna get it. I led the league in Texas flavorings. Media is not voting from you know how that going and you you out in It was for you, buddy, So it was close because then I came back and got it the next show. I was gonna get it again. He got it when I got spend it. Yeah, he wouldn't get that, right, He's a great m That was an opportunity right there. So I think that's where you know, We're on the court, Me and Bend and guard each other and were busting their ass. But sometimes me and
Ben would get into the mix. So as I running down court, I'm like, it gotta be being who are thinking about filing? I didn see him talk tracks nobody else doing the game care so I run a guard bill just so he came file him. They throw the ball to beIN the clocks. Want to not carry from to go home with a win. And then at the end of the games you don't want to file nobody and send him to the free throw line. So I'm guarding Band, just little token defense, and I let him score.
But as he's going up to score, wrong come from out of nowhere. Now now, immediately when the fire happened, you had to be there to see this. Being got maybe two hundred pounds heavier at that moment. He just blew up right and I'm seeing this and he comes towards Ron and put his whole hounds in both his eyes and push his head so hard carry I'm looking to see if it came off. I'm trying of looking the stands to see if his head came off. He pushed Ron so where Ron had to gather him stuff.
You know, Ron is a big old boy too. So after Ron gather himself, they about to lost up. We end up breaking it up kind of you get gets to a pushing match, and just so happened. I was I was already cool with Rep. Hamilton and I was cool with she. I was like my brother, so we wasn't really trying to fight each other. But it had got to the point where as I'm trying to break it up, I see my close friend Rep. Hamilton's still
talking ship. So I you turned out the huddle and square up, put my church out of square with him and Lindsey Hunter because I'm I didn't went to that mode. Now, Okay, they talked. Okay, I'm in fighting mode. Now coaches grabbed me me breaking up. I calmed down. Ron is laying on the scores table. So what people don't know is Ron was seeing a counselor or some type of lady he was talking to. I don't know what they call it. But they had me, Oh trust me carry. They had
me do a couple of sessions with the two. They thought I was crazy too, but she was a sweetheart. She was a sweetheart. She knew he wasn't crazy. She was just getting that check and doing her job. I felt on that, and uh so they told Ron, when you get to the point where you can't control yourself, go lay down, find a pieceful place. They told him five is a happy place, right, So he did. He did when they was destructed to do they know the stories have and he took the analysis headphones and put
him on his head so he can lock everything. Guy, okay, good job. Run to the point where the regime's proud. Regie Miller was proud of it. Resill whenever they put his hand on his chest, like that's what I'm talking about, roun, I'm trying of what I just wanted to be doing. While he trying to calm down whoever this guy is, he has to be a novice. And cup thrown. He threw the cup Carrie where it stayed upright all the way to it, got the roar and hit run upright,
didn't flip though on it. They had a bet that the beer colamb Okay, in any state, you throw water anything in somebody's face outside, it's a salt. Today it's a salt. Ron looked in the stands and saw two guys clapping and like, yeah, we made in the landed I want the bet, not knowing as he'd be lined
up there. He grabbed the wrong guy so he's don't keep come beating up this dude, and the guy who actually threw the beer grabbed him from behind, so By that time, I make it up the steps a row above roar, and as I land, I put my hands on rung. Another guy throws another beer and rung face you fair game? Hi, come here? Lay him down. As I knocked him down, I'm on my way. I'm on my way to go Sammy Davidson and go stump him out.
I got pulled back. I end up landing on the dude who actually threw the bill run, so I'm tagging him in the head bath bah back. I get pulled off by David Harrison six ten, two ninety and he has me in the choke hole, not knowing he's choking me. Carry so I'm looking at Rashid tell her Rashi trying to tell him, I'm he's choking me. I'm passing out because during the whole time you're dreaming the pumper, you really don't breathe like these posts. I'm not a boxing
so I don't want to. So my Dreallaline was pumping, so I really wasn't breathing. So I'm understands in the sheet and I'm blacking out. Carrey, I'm about to pass out. He's some kind of way. I grabbed his on he let me go and out stand up and as I stand up and you look at it, Ra, she grabbed me and we all start walking back down to the court. As I'm walking to the court, I see chuck persons and grabbing Ron and I'm following Ron to the back to the locker room. Carry every refreshment that that they
sold at that arena. I had a taste of it on my uniform. Popcorn, links, hot dogs, pickles. I just had advertising everything on my jersey walking to by it there. And as I got in the locker room to this is this is where the story gets crazy. After I get in the locker froom, I sit down. Jamal Tchens is just over the lack like he thinks this is just the funniest thing together. He like he but but I gotta give hc benefit of that. He laughed at everything.
Now I'm good a bad he laughed every I sit down and I put my hands on my leg eggs kind of like, and I pull up my hands a full of blood both my hand from me jumping over the bleaches and all. I didn't pay no attention to none of that care. I was in the mold. All my legs are scratched up, and I'm looking at my legs and like man as I'm trying to figure myself together. Ron tapping Stack, you think we're gonna get in trouble? Yeah, let me think about that, Ron Travel, Well, are you
lucky we have a job tomorrow? Ronard tests saying do you think we're in trouble? Well, that was only a small part of what would happen. Stephen Jackson was suspended for thirty games and lost close to two million dollars in salary because of the malice and the palace. Not to mention, the then commissioner, David Sterns started in forcing all type of rules to make sure nothing like that
would ever happen again. There was a dress code. Players could only behave or act a certain way because they wanted to ensure the fans that they were called unquote safe. I have my own opinions on that, but we'll leave that there. The point of the matter is is that the quality of being loyal. It's something that Stephen Jackson holds near and dear, and he says it's often the
reason why people just don't understand who he is. I've been so misunderstood for running in the stands with Ron, and for helping Jamal Tensei shoot my gun trying to help him at at the Strip Club, and people don't know I was probably five minutes when my brother was getting beat to death. I was five minutes away from not knowing it what's going on. So not being not being able to be there for my brother, I think that haunted me a lot. Where I'll make it a point to beat up for the guys I called my
brother today. You know, that's why they think twice to go on the stands for Ron, That's why they think twice to help Jamal Tensely, That's why they think twice to go to Minnesota stand up with George Floyd. Because I've always been my brother's keeper and and and being so close to my brother, not being that that always haunted me. So I've always took pride. And if I feel like you're my brother, if I'm with you, if I tell you I love you, and our norse reciprocated,
I go through a wall for you. And that's just that's just how I bussed this. Then, from day one, Stephen Jackson has been unapologetic about being loyal, and it was that same loyalty that led him to become one of the faces of a national civil rights movement. One of his dear friends was murdered by police officers. We know him as George Floyd, but Stephen Jackson called him Georgie. Georgie me and George was always in the streets care. We never did anything care but hang out, get bent
and go to club. That's all we did. So we had a mutual friend named Telly Joyce Rest in peace. Telly. So he knew me as a yachster playing basketball and uh, I used always playing on the courts while the drugs was sold. He come, He came to me, like, Bro, I got a homeboy that looks just like y'all might have the same daddy here a little older than you. But I'm telling you, y'all look alike. Bro. I'm like, man, please, man, I'm a team. At the times, I don't think theyre
making fun of me. He brings Florida back the next week. As soon as I see Floyd we see each other, I'm like, yo, dad, yo, daddy, that's how much we look alike. And uh, we just became cool and our respect what what we call each other twin. This is a coordinated activity happening across this nation, and so we are in a state of emergency. Black people are dying in a state of emergency that we cannot look at this as an isolated incident. The reason why buildings are
burning are not just for our brother. George Floyd got killed for doing for what I'm doing here. Mike macael X got killed for doing what I'm doing. So I get a week, ten or fifteen death threats. But people just don't want equality. They don't hate me, they just don't want us to being equal. And it's been tough because a lot of times I didn't know what I
was doing. Carried my first four weeks and been in Minnesota, I didn't I'll guarantee you I probably slept ten hours in four weeks because I was I wanted to continue to make my people proud, um I want. I wanted to do right for Georgie, you know, and people and a lot of people don't know when when when Georgie got killed, I was still in pain from Kobe. I was I like, when that happened, I left my neighborhood, just walked like I was still hurting from Kobe and
that was a close brother of mine. So when that happened, like everything just came out at one time. It's just like I've been holding it in. Okay, now enough is enough. I can't take the more. I've never felt so helpless in my life. What can I do two help my brother and Carrie. I have to say this. I had no idea what I was going down there, and do I knew nine out of ten times when this happens
to a black male. First thing they tried to do is assist, assassinated their character, bring up old stuff, and none of them ever had an NBA player. Were one of the hottest podcasts in the world to speak on their behalf. I had to be that. I had to be his voice. And everything I said the press conference, I think, uh here, having to make a matter we speak before me, that all helped me. You know. I mean, I love us so much. Oh my god, I'll shout out to me him and I love us so much.
And I think hearing her speak before me it helped me relax because I didn't, you know, everything I said it came up the top of my head and from my heart, and it helped me relax and make me get ahold of what I the message that I wanted to come across, because before I spoke Carry, a lot of people was thinking I was coming with fun white people. I hate all y'all that motherfucker. That's what they was expecting. You know what I'm saying, That's what they was expecting.
But as you know, Carrie, I hit him with that articulate ship and at the same time getting my point across, and it made it real simple. I love everybody, but the time of playing both sides, it's over either you with us are you against us? And I'm glad that I was able to speak in a intelligent manner, uh a heartfelt manner and carry. I had no idea I'll be the face of the biggest civil rights movement ever. Eighteen countries, fifty states. I can never thought this would
be who I am. I've always been the guy and go out throw stuff at me. I embrace it whether it's good or bad, because I know either it's a test or it's a blessing. So I'm gonna I embrace it all the time. And I embraced I had. I had embraced this too. Carry with going down there, but I didn't know all this was gonna come from him. I'm glad I did go down on that because not only did I do something, I did something for the world.
But my life has changed care My life has changed from this for the better because it's forcing me to not be a hypocrite. I can't say that my brother's keeping and I'm promoting music with somebody killing somebody. Are they talking about shooting each other up? I take pride in taking these steps and not being a hypocrite. And I love the person I am now, and and and I hate I had to lose my brother for all
these things that happened in my life. But I know he's smiling down knowing that his death is not going in a bandoned. He changed the world. A lot of things are changing from from his incident, and I'm just thankful that I had a part of this. Past summer was one that we will never forget. It changed everyone, including Stephen Jackson. The division, the healing, the hurt, the pain oftentimes documented in so many different ways. And now the trial of the officer who is accused of murdering
George Floyd is underway. If you look back on everything that's happened. The question is simply to Stephen Jackson, would you have done anything differently? I think I would have went harder. You know, I was out there protests and
I was doing this and doing that. But I think during the time when it first happened, I think we could have We could have did more as far as far as getting them to understand exactly why we all get to stuff up, because because even if you look at it after that ra Shard Brooks, mard Aubery, they still didn't get it. So obviously we didn't do enough because it's still happening. So in my mind, I could have done more. I don't know what it is because I didn't know what I was doing when I went
down there. But if I could have done something different, carry I would have done more. Stephen Jackson in the basketball player, Stephen Jackson, the the podcaster, slash analysts, Stephen Jackson, the businessman, Stephen Jackson, the activists. There um so many people see you in a lot of different ways. Stephen Jackson a family man. You always talk about your babies. Um, Stephen Jackson, the ladies man. You gotta you know, no one really knows your personal life. You guys, and then
I don't tell. I don't tell nobody my business. I know people, businesses. But is there a part of you that feels like I know for me there is. But is there a part of you that feels like you're not being honest with everyone about who you are and you wish you could remove that mask. I think with me, Garry, I want my emotions on us league, and I think I get of my honest self to the world more
than the normal guy. You know. I think as far as how I live, who who I am as a person, what I have, what I but, but what I've obtained, who I love and who I hate, that's clear at day. I don't have skeletons in my closet. You can't assassinate my character in no type of way. But I think I do have things in my past that people would judge. You know, people judge people for selling drugs, people judge people for carrying guns, people, people judge people for certain stuff.
I could care less, but people still tend to judge people like that. I have kids, who I care what they think, I care what they here, and I think for the most part, what I'm doing today means more than me than anything I did in basketball. I honestly feel like I wasn't appreciating in basketball three or four years. I should have made the All Star Game, and I simply didn't make it because I had my teammates back in the broad not because of the way I played
the game. Because I speak my mind when the coach is wrong on the teammate, I'll make a rap song when the Clippers have a racist owner. Those are the reasons why I don't give my accolades for planning in the NBA. So I never really was was felt like I was respected and gave a fat chance and NBA carry I honestly don't. I think. I think I was judged and and and scrutinized. Um even with the broad care, we if the brawl happened today, we wouldn't get suspended.
With everything that's going on today, we wouldn't have got suspended. We're at work, a guy throws a beer on the court, how are we supposed to respond? At that time, they was trying to save the game and stop the game for being so hood and so black. So they was looking for a reason to change the dress code. It was looking for somebody to blame to have a faith for. Okay, this is why we're changing all the rules because these guys and they were looking for it at the time,
and I fit. I fit the bill, fine, I'm cool with it. What I'm doing now means more than me. I want to be known for being the face of eighteen countries and the and the fifty States, the biggest civil rights movement. I want to be known as the face could change. What I'm doing now, going from city to city, trying to make it to all fifty states, giving back to people who I know need people in these areas that the whole world know that if we come together, we can kind of end all this poverty.
We know all this stuff, but we're not doing the fact that I'm able to give a help in hand care. This mean more to me than than any basketball, any ring I could wear. This means more because I'm actually changing lives and I'm doing something that's bigger than me. I'm not playing the game. I'm actually giving my time, my finances, my my my my health, everything. I'm putting everything on the line for better men, for other people, and uh, no better feeling. I've never had no better
feeling to be honest. I feel like Stephen Jackson has shared all he is needed to share on this platform. But I have to ask him in this moment, when was the last time, or if ever, you found yourself completely vulnerable? When are you naked? My oldest daughter no more than anybody, anybody on this earth. My daughter knows more. She she's never judged me. She's never judged me. She's my best friend. UM. I think she's kind of like my shrink because I know she's not gonna judge me,
and I can't. My Tamiya Jackson and Scottie Jackson, I can't do no wrong in their eyes, and I want to keep you that with I'm really grateful that Stephen Jackson came on the podcast today. I appreciate his honesty, UM, and I appreciate him saying he is at his most vulnerable naked when he is with his daughters. And for many men, it's their daughters who can do that, who can bring that out of them. So there's that honesty that only your children can elicten. I do believe though
his best naked emotion is is loyalty, UM. And the reason why I say it's a naked emotion is because he does it so selflessly. I don't know if you were able to understand the dynamics of him losing his brother and not being there to help him, and why as a result of that, he feels it necessary to protect those that are in his life that he cares about, that he considers family, that he considers close friends. That was the theme throughout this entire podcast when he talked
about every single important moment in his life. It was the loyalty that kept him there, that kept him coming back, that allowed him to define who he was, to make him feel better about who he is as a human. For instance, the malice in the palace, not everybody's running into the stand to protect Ron artests or even help him correct. In fact, everyone wasn't. It was Stephen Jackson and there was a reason for that. And he did
it without even caring what others would say. I mean, the the repercussions being fined, what the league is going to say about you, what's your basketball legacy would ultimately look like because you were a part of something that was considered a black eye for the NBA. He didn't care about any of those things. To me, that's a beautiful quality. And I often think to myself, am I that kind of friend? I mean, I'm listening to him tell this story over and over again. Am I that
kind of friend? Can I do that? And I don't know. I got to be honest with y'all. I think I am. I'm sure my friends would tell you that I am. But I can't tell you that I'm running into the stands or the malice in the palace. I can tell you what I what I could do. That same loyalty was on display when he went to Minneapolis to make sure people knew who George Floyd was. That was his friend, and what happened to his friend was not right, it
was not fair. And you heard him say over and over again he had no idea what he was doing when he went to Minnesota, but he did it anyway because he's a loyal friend and he wanted to make sure that someone spoke for George Floyd because he didn't have a voice. And now that is a beautiful thing. But again, it's that same beautiful, naked emotion of being loyal, and I salute Stephen Jackson for that. The officer accused of murdering George Floyd. His trial is actually underway as
we do this podcast. Simultaneously, we also found out that the Floyd family received a twenty seven million dollar civil suit settlement. Now that's interesting because all the while, what happened is summer where we saw a racial renaissance of righteousness, something that we hadn't seen within the last sixty years. Really described the emotions of a frustrated people, a frustrated culture. But at the end of the day, there was healing.
Healing for Stephen Jackson specifically, he is a loyal person and often described as a troublemaker in the league, misunderstood in the league, it was his loyalty. He wanted to be his brother's keeper. Now, while being his brother's keeper, he found himself in compromising situations. But now he is arguably the face of one of the largest civil rights
movements we've seen within the last sixty years. I'm also glad to hear him share his story because it puts in perspective what we all should be trying to do, and that is really evaluate who we are from top to bottom when we're at our most vulnerable. I appreciate you' all listening. Tune in next week. I may wear my underwear, I may not. That's none of your business. Though I might have dimples in my booty, I may not. None of your business though. Uh joined us for another edition
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