The Dave Pasch Podcast - Mark Jackson

ABC broadcaster. Mark spent seventeen years in the NBA as a player, one of the all time assist leaders in NBA history, part of the NBA Finals broadcast team, which is the longest running in NBA history. Seventeen years for Mike Green and Jeff Van Gundi. Fifteen years for Mike, Jeff and Mark Jackson. The reason why Mark wasn't there for a couple of years he was the head coach of the Golden State Warriors, leading them to two postseason

appearances in three years. We'll talk with Mark about his love for Tom Brady and why he became a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan. With Brady, the way he played a way you know, overachieved at a certain point, overcame obstacles and I love this fight, his grit compassion. We'll also talk about the NBA and Christmas Day, Mark's thoughts on the Phoenix Suns. Will get in a little bit of some broadcasting stuff and ask Mark why the booth between Mark, Mike and Jeff is one of the most successful boots

in the history of sports television. We also asked Mark about being a player in the NBA, some of his fondest memories, and also why he knew Clay Thompson and Steph Curry when he was coaching the Warriors were the greatest shooting backcourt in NBA history. We are presented by bet MGM, the official sports betting partner of the Arizona Cardinals, and by Hila River Resorts and Casinos. The bet MGM Touchdown Boost Token is here to increase your payout with

every Cardinal's touchdown. You'll receive an extra ten percent boost off every Cardinal's touchdown and your boots can be used on the following week's game only at bet MGM. The King of Sports Books, an official partner of the Arizona Cardinals. Visit BETMGM dot com for terms and conditions. Twenty one years of age or older to wager Arizona only. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Please gamble responsibly.

Gambling problem called one eight hundred Next step. Time now for another edition of the Day Pash Podcast with our guest espn ABC broadcaster, former NBA head coach and seventeen

year NBA point guard Mark Jackson. Well Mark, one of the reasons I wanted to get you on, along with being a friend for the last fifteen sixteen years, was you've led such an interesting life and you've been successful at everything you've done, whether it was as a player for seventeen years, three years with the Warriors, back to back playoffs as the head coach, first time the Warriors had been in back to back playoffs in twenty years,

and then as a broadcaster. You, Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy have been together for fifteen years, those two for seventeen. The reason you weren't there the other two as you were coaching you're a little busy. But the fact you guys have been the longest running NBA finals team in history, Like, when you started doing this, did you think that you guys would be together this long? Well when I started, First of all, thanks for having me.

When I started doing TV, I was doing Saturday nights and Friday nights in the studios in Bristol, Connecticut, and then I was doing NETS games with Marv Albert and nine and Eagles. So when I got the opportunity to call NBA Finals with Mike Green and Jevan Gundy, it was it was an incredible thing to learn. Knowing the history of the game, knowing the history of incredible boosts,

not just in basketball but in sports in general. Never would I imagine that we'd be doing it, you know, at this point and have so many underneath our belt. But it's a credit to the greatness of those two guys, the friendship that we have on and off the court. I'm honored to be in a booth with those guys

along with Lisa's halt Is. It's an incredible group. And what you see and what you hear dround the course of the game is, as you know, is the same thing that you'd see in here over the course of dinner with all of us will get along incredibly well in that family for life. Yeah, you're right. It's fun when I get a chance, probably handful of times a year to work with both of you, and then you know, another handful of times a year to work with you individually,

and then work with Jeff individually. And Yeah, you guys are What you see is what you get. You guys are as real as it gets. I think your booth should be in the Hall of Fame. If inside the NBA, which is a tremendous studio show, is in the Hall of Fame, I think you guys should be as well. For what you guys have accomplished. Do you think because you guys knew each other before has helped with your chemistry? What do you think is the key to having a

great booth? Well, it's a great question. Thank you for the Hall of Fame. Not I appreciate it, But I will say this, Even though I would say I'd credit us knowing each other beforehand has a lot to do it, I would then, crazy as it sounds, say that it has nothing to do with it. And what I mean by that is there are people that have been in boosts and known each other longer than we've known each other and known each other as much as we've known each other. But the thing is, we have no ego.

So I've seen boosts get torn apart because of egos, because somebody says something, or somebody doesn't have enough time, or somebody is insulted, or somebody gets jealous of the attention. All those things, we could care less about who gets the attention. We are there to call the game and cover it and do the best that we possibly can do. There's nothing that Jeff van Gundya Mike Breen can say to me that I would take offense to because I know those guys love me and they know that I

love them. So it's a unique situation, a unique boot where family trump's all and I will get I will say this, Mike Breen is as good as it gets as a point guard is concerned. When you talk about Magic Johnson and in my opinion, Ernie Johnson, Mike Breen, those are the three greatest point guards to ever do it. The way they control the team, the way they orchestrate everything that takes place, its thoughts and ends with them. And Jeff is just jeffs as brilliant and basketball mine

as I've ever been around. I've had the privilege of watching him come into the NBA, watched him as an assistant, be loyal, dedicated, and work his tailoff, and I watched him, you know, every step of the way. He is an absolute basketball genius and family for life, somebody I have tremendous respect, appreciation and admiration for. Like like no Ova, we had Jeff on last year. He told the story of when his car blew up. Well, you won that team,

you won that next team won his car. I think it was was on the tarmac and they were either pulling in or leaving, and I think the engine like blew the car up in the air and destroyed it. And then I think it destroyed Alan Houston's car as well because it landed on it. Yeah, that was one of his earlier trip as the head coach of the Knicks. I wasn't on that team, but was reading about it and knew it was typical Jeff Van Gundy. I was well away of the car because the same car he

drove as an assistant when I was there. Well, I'm only in Jeff Vangundy form and fashion could something like that app And I've been in Jeff's current car. It's probably the same making model as that one. Believable. He doesn't invest well. Well, that one was probably cleaner. This guy does not watch his causes, which is unbelievable. He only watches the keeps the inside clean, which makes no sense.

I mean it's typical, Jeff. When I did that game with you guys a couple of weeks ago, you were kind of making fun of Jeff holding the clicker, what he does with his bottom lip when he holds the clicker, going back and forth watching film. What are some other great and I know I'm asking you off the top of your head, but any other great Jeff Van Gundy stories that like this is the perfect form to tell that. It would be too hard to tell in the middle

of a broadcast and certainly an NBA playoff game. Will you walk around the facility with no shoes on, with just his socks due put some shoes on? I mean, come on, man, So he'd walked around with his lip poked out, with remote in his hand and just his socks and no shoes because he's at home. He spent so much time and I've been around coaches that that fake.

The amount of time they were at the facility, Jeff Van Gundy is actually there getting stuff done and making sure he leaves no stone unturned because of his preparations. So I give him credit for that. But put some shoes on, dude, and tuck in your bottom lip. We don't need to see you your bottom lip poked out all day long, waiting to show me a clip of not helping and recovering or springing back in transition. He is one thing. There's a lot of things I appreciate

about Jeff. I work with Ron Wall in the Cardinal games, and Wolf played for the Cardinals, but he also played for Bill Belichick in Cleveland. And I don't think Belichick came on his radio show when the Cardinals played the Patriots the last time, but usually every time the Cardinals play New England, Belichick will come on Wolf show. He played from thirty years ago. Yet there's still a respect

and appreciation for any former player. Jeff is the same way I've noticed, whether it's you or other guys, Patrick Ewing, other guys that he coached, and it's real, it's not fake, like he really appreciates and always points to the players, always gives the player credit for helping him. He'll always say he's got I remember we'd do those games from our houses during COVID year and he'd have a picture of Patrick Ewing behind him and he said, I have this year, so the camera see the guy that built

my house. Not literally, but Patrick Patrick Hue is the reason I have this nice house well. And he understands it. He gets it and anybody that understands what it takes in sports, not just basketball, but in sports in general. You don't win as a coach without talent and and and greatness, and that greatness and talent embracing you, especially

if you're a guy like Jeff at Gunny. And he's well aware of that where he came from that a guy, a franchised talent like Patrick Ewing had to embrace him and put a stamp on everything he was preaching, or he could have it could have gone the other way. We've seen that with great with great players, uh alien ate a coach and not give him a chance. So he embraces the fact that Patrick did that for him.

And and I wouldn't say Patrick just did it for him, because Patrick is a loyal guy and he's a winner. Patrick saw the amount of work that Jeff was putting into it and the knowledge that he had, and he trusted him because of that. He didn't just blindly trust them. So Jeff is ignoring the fact that he earned that respect and that trust from guys like Patrick ewing Uh and and and they propelled them to an incredible basketball career.

So so so I would say I understand his humility, but at the same time, it was earned the respect in the embrace of everything that he was preaching to his troops. Well, and you mentioned humility, and that comes across with all you guys, and you talked about having

no ego. I think that's maybe the biggest key to why your booth mark is among the best in sports because and I'll a lot of times talk either at Syracuse or other schools will ask me to talk about play by play and what's the success, what's the reason for being successful? And I always talk about you know, you have to have a booth. Where as the play by play guy, your job is to make the analysts

the star and let the analysts shine. And sometimes especially the three person booth, the analysts are all jocking for position and it's wall to wall talking what makes you guys great is there might be a couple of possessions that go by and it's just Breen calling the play because if you don't have anything to say, you're not going to just talk to talk. And Jeff's the same way.

So I've always appreciated that when working with you guys, it's it's conversational, it's easy, it's smooth, and it's fun and entertaining. And you guys are always good about picking your spots when to be goofy and funny and when to be serious. So and then you watch so many sporting events and you know, sadly you see people talking

over each other and talking over the moment. Uh. It comes with with with doing it repetition and learning the fact of how to how to best you know, tell the story and sometimes let let the let the scene tell the story along with Mike. So we take we take great pride and sitting back and witnessing greatness. Uh So we don't take ourselves serious. And some of the best moments has been us laying out and and I

gave credit to Mike and Jeff. I also want to give credit to our boss, which you know very well, Tim Cork who does an incredible job of letting us be who we truly are, individually and collectively, guiding us, us leading us, and not over coaching he is. He's a brilliant coach as far as production is concerned, and somebody has been there the entire way with us, and we don't take for granted now. He's as good as it gets in terms of being a game producer, as

good as it gets on any sport. One of the other reasons I wanted to have Jan was to talk about the team that the Cardinals are playing this week, more so the quarterback the Cardinals are playing against, because I just assumed, I don't know when I found this out, but I just assumed that you were, you know, a guy that grew up in New York City, a Giants

fan or a Jets fan. But you told me this was probably ten years ago, that you were a Patriots fan, and the reason you were a Patriots fan is because of Tom Brady. And then you went on to tell me when Brady went to the Buccaneers that you're now a Buccaneers fan. First of all, who was your team growing up, Mark, And when did you shift your allegiance to following Brady and the Patriots and now the Buccaneers. Well, I'm a big sports fan, and I was growing up.

I was Jets, a Giants fan in football, um, and I was just a fan of football. And then when Dan Marino became the quarterback of the Miami Dolphins, I became a Dolphins fan because of Dan Marino. Uh. I fell in love with the way through the ball, the way he played, and just everything about him. And so

so I wasn't a Patriots fan until Marino retired. When Marino retired, when Brady got on the scene, I had to find another team or another guy that I thought would be, you know, somebody that I can embrace in, and it became Tom Brady. So fell in love with Brady, the way he played, the way you know, overachieved that at a certain point, overcame obstacles and and uh being a backup in all of those things. And I loved this story. I loved this fight, his grit, his compassion,

and h I became a Patriots fan. And then when not when he became a Tampa Bay Buck and there but when Brady decided to leave the New England Patriots, it didn't matter wherever he was going, that's the team I was going to root for. So when he decided to go with Tampa Bay, I became a Buck fan. And uh, that's what I am today, and that's what I'll be until he retires or leaving goes somewhere else, and he goes somewhere else, That'll be my team, for better off or worse. And when he retires, I'll be

on to the next one. I'm not sure that be who that will be, but it won't be. It's not the best player, per se. It's it's to me. It's like like in baseball, I was I was Alex Rojiguez guy. So wherever Alex went, I would have been, I would have been with Alex. He's he's my guy, somebody I love and I love his story and I truly believe he should be in the Hall of Fame. Uh that's for another story. Have you had a chance to get

to know Brady at all? No, never met him. Uh, just just know him from a distances as a fan. As you watch the team this year six and eight but still leading the division, it's the worst regular season that Brady's had, but still at his age, it is remarkable what he's doing. Turnovers were really what did them

in against Cincinnati on Sunday? What do you make of this year's team and do you still think, despite being six and eight that if they win the division, that they're good enough to make a run of the postseason? Disappointed thus far, and to me as a as a fan, as a player, as a coach, as a guy that covers sports, I'm disappointed with the lack of discipline, their consistency. If they played the way they played in the first half yesterday, then they can get to the super Bowl

and beat anybody in the NFC. Offensively and defensively, they were clicking. The sad thing is that if they played the way they played in the second half yesterday, there's a chance they won't even make the playoffs. They've got to be better, and they're good enough to get it done, but they haven't displayed a consistency all year long. So everything that I know about sports tells me that you

all your habits and I shouldn't trust them. But because of the greatness of Tom Brady and that team being able to do it before, I'm holding on to their hope, thinking that they could find a way to click on all cylinders and get high at the right moment, because I'm not in love with anybody in the NFC to the point where I think that the Bucks when clicking, can't beat them, whether it be in their building or

the oppositions building. To me, and I've seen the Eagles this year in person, granted was early in the year, seen the forty nine Ers in person. Once the Cardinals play there the last game of the season, and obviously the Cardinals are a shell of the team we thought that we were going to have. They've played more players than anybody in the NFL and Trace McSorley man ended up starting this week and who knows, maybe the of

the year, depending on how Colt is doing. To me, San Francisco is the best team, the most complete team. I have to see jail and hurt to do it in the postseason to believe it. Um, I still think it's probably Kansas City or Buffalo that wins the Super Bowl, but I do think it'll be the forty nine Ers against one of those two teams. Who do you think right now is the team to beat in the NFL.

It's it's it's it's wide open, um when you look at the AFC, so many teams legitimately have a have a chance and are good enough to get high, especially with the quarterback play being at the level that it is. It's incredible. So Kansas City, Buffalo, uh gotta be, you know, the favorites in the AFC. But I'm not I'm not counting anybody out because I will say this when you when you look at Tom Brady and what he does when it matters most, he takes care of the ball.

He's not, you know, trying anything to be a super hero. He's he's marching down the field effectively and efficiently. When I look at the quarterback play and say who's gonna win the Super Bowl? Who has a chance to win the Super Bowl? I think any one of those those other guys can throw one away and cost that team. As great as they are, I don't think they take care of football as well as they should. At times they can be careless. And that's the greatness of Patrick

Mahons too. He can throw one away trying to do too much. So so that's the concern with me picking any particular team. I think it's a great time, It's tremendous parody throughout the league, and I think it's wide open. Even though you talk about Philly and San Francisco. Can I say that they won't throw one away? They won't not being careless, But are they good enough to take care of basketball? To basketball's good enough to take care

of football the entire way? And I'm not so sure that they won't give the opposition a chance to beat them off for the mistake. No, I agree. I think we, first of all, don't know what the quarterback situation is going to be like in San Francisco. And can Brock pretty keep doing this? And if Jimmy G can't come back, can he know can he win a big playoff game? Same question for him that we have for Jalen Hurts. Growing up in New York City, did you play football

at all? Mark? If not, what other sports did you play growing up besides basketball? Well, my first sport was baseball. I played baseball as a as a kid. My first sport as seven years old when we moved from Brooklyn the Queens. I got into a little league and I played for the you know, the Royals, and we had a good time and I fell in love with baseball as seven years old and pretty much the same time, I fell in love with basketball and I played football

for a year or two. Enjoyed that. I'm I boxed in the local PLU in the neighborhood and Queens So baseball, basketball, football, boxing, I'm pretty much in love with If if I can't do it, you won't see me do it. I'll follow it, but you won't see me play soccer, which the World Cup was incredible, but I can't do it. And then obviously you went to Saint John's where you're a great player, and then in the NBA for seventeen years, Rookie of

the Year, you're drafted by the Knicks. What was that like emotionally to get drafted by to play It's like DeAndre Ayton, even though DeAndre is from the Bahamas, but you know, high school in Phoenix, college at University of Arizona, Tucson, NBA with the Sons. You take it one step further from growing up in New York, playing college basketball in New York City and then playing in the NBA in New York City to start your career. Yeah, it was.

It was incredible, you know, to be a kid watching the New York Knicks listening to them, dreaming about being Erlman Roll. Up until I got to high school. I wore number fifteen my entire life for Earl the Perlman role. He was my favorite player growing up, and he was

a back called partner Walt Frazier with the New York Knicks. Uh. And I pinched myself sometimes as I look at my phone and I'm texting as a fifteen fifty seven year old man, I go back to being a little kid because I have the privilege in honor of having Erlman role's phone number and text him every now and then.

And I'm and I'm I'm absolutely amazed when I think about the fact that this guy that I dreamed about being, I even get chills and emotional thinking about it right now that I have the privilege of text him and calling him and interacting with him. It's it's it's it's mind blowing. So you mayn't even forget the question, oh yeah and the Knicks when I get it's crazy when you think about that, Uh, that I have the privilege to be in contact with the guy that I that

that stoked the dream in me. Uh, the playing playing in New York City. The dream was to be a New York Knick and to be drafted, to be to be playing college in Saint John's with a great Hall of Famer Luke on a second. To then go from there to playing in New York City was a dream come true. Matta Square Garden, twenty thousand hometown. It's not just twenty thousand fans. I got elementary school teachers, elements, elementary school classmates, you know, high school principles, middle school

classmates and teaches. You know, is I'm looking in the stands and it was. It was absolutely a surreal feeling when you were traded by the Knicks to the Clippers. Was that painful for you? I know you did come back and play for the Knicks again, but was it painful because you thought maybe you were leaving for the last time? What was that like? Well, it was painful.

Excuse me. It was painful because I can remember specifically pat Riley having a team meeting in the locker room and he says, let me let you guys know something. There's only two guys in there that's gonna be life as with the Knicks, and that's Patrick Euin and Mark Jackson. I'm young and dumb. I'm thinking, yeah, I'm gonna be a father. Little did I know at some point, you know, sooner soon I would be you know, shipped off to

Los Angeles. But it was a surprise. But right away I knew, uh it was a business, and I had an opportunity to go somewhere else, to play in another uniform, to impact impact another community. And and and anytime you get traded it it shows that somebody else values what you bring to the table. So I never looked at it as disrespect. I understood it was a business, and I looked at it as an opportunity to further my

career and impact a whole other community. Going to LA obviously helped me moving forward because now I live in LA. When I moved from New York, you know, fifteen twenty years ago, I was looking for home somewhere else. And I'm a guy that's a creature of habit as, you know, and I wanted to go someplace that I was familiar with, uh and and LA was a place that I had become familiar with since you know, nineteen, I believe ninety two.

And it's been it's been great. This next question was not on my list, but uh, and I'm gonna end up going way over the time. I said I was going to keep you, but but Jeff sent me some questions to ask you, so you can blame him for going too long. One of my favorite thirty for thirties was Winning Time Reggie Miller versus The New York Next And part of the reason I loved it knowing you, but also the showing you and the impact you had

on him. Was there anything if people have seen that thirty for thirty because most people I talked to you have it's a pretty popular one. Is there anything that was left on the cutting room floor that you know you would want people to know about that team or your relationship with Reggie Miller? Obviously the Spike League games those are very memorable, but is there anything else marked that you can think of? You know, Jeff is different

than me. You can say that Jeff, what happened in Game three going into the third quarter, and Jeff will specifically break down exactly what happened. I don't recall. I know we won, but I don't I don't remember different situations or games or game four, Game three or anything

like that. Things that jump out to me are specific moments leaving the arena in Indiana after we beat them and getting in my car with my family and seeing this guy walking on the on the on the side of the street in the freezing coal with his bottom lip poked out, wondering if anything he could have done to get to win, And it was Jeff an Gunny sa I'll roll the window down and I'm like he okay man. I'm like, you're okay man. It's just like those moments jump out. But I tell you, there's no

doubt in my mind. Could that Nick team that we beat win a championship today? Dances yes. So I don't believe that the only teams that we count as great teams are the ones that won it. No, they they've had, you know, they had great teams. Certainly the moment was right. You can't tell me that that Utah Jazz team couldn't have won a championship, that Nick team, that Heat team, you know, before Lebron and Wade and botching those guys.

There's so many great teams that have lost. You know, the Birds teams that lost the Magic are the Magic team that lost the Birds um But Jeff Van Gundy

whether he had Patrick Ewing or shorthanded Nick team. The thing that jumps out they were always prepared, They stayed ready, they competed their tail off, and they were absolute champions and winners in spite of not winning at all because they went the way they went about handling that business where they competed and the where they represented New York City. And I think the same thing goes for you know, that Pacer team and those Pacer teams that I was

privileged to be part of. But Reggie Miller is a friend for life, uh, his family for life. I'm the godfather of his oldest child. M honored to be that and uh and we we share some incredible moments together. And I specifically get excited when I turn on the TV and people that I spend quality time with over the cost of my life still relevant all these years later. You look at a guy like Kenny Smith. I grew

up with Kenny Smith. We had dreams, we had aspirations of one day doing it and to be able to turn on TV and note that he's in the Hall of Fame. Reggie's in the Hall of Fame. I mean, it's it's incredible to watch Mike Green being in the Hall of Fame to watch Jeff Van Gunny and his impact on the game of basketball. I'm watching a drill on on an Internet and as a defensive shell drill, and they're calling it to TIBs drill. I love Tom Thibodeau. That's the Jeff Yangunny Drew. We did that when Jeff

Van gundy was the head coach. So Jeff yang Gunny's impact goes beyond just a three man booth. He is a basketball genius. As somebody I love when you get the Warrior's job. Obviously, you know, Jeff, as you've been saying throughout this podcast, and I'm sure people that remember when you were coaching the Warriors the type of coach that you were. Obviously, Jeff had a big impact on you as a coach. Who are some of the other I know, Rick Pettino you played for as well, pat

Riley you mentioned. Who are some of the other coaches that impacted you during that stint when you were the head coach of the Warriors. Well, I will tell you. I'll get this, give you this nugget that hasn't been known as far as I know, I as a head coach of the Warriors, not not when I first got the job, but at some point being the coach of the Warriors off of Jeff Yang gunn to be the highest paid assistant in the league, to be my assistant,

my assistant coach, and the timing wasn't right. So that's that's how much I think of Jeff and how much I valued his basketball knowledge and how much he has made me better, not only as a basketball coach, a basketball player, but as a person overall. Yeah, I've not heard that story. I don't think I've even heard that off the year. No, I never I never shed it. But but that's what I think of him. I don't believe I played seventeen years in the NBA if I

if Rick Patino's not my first coach. He's a Hall of Fame coach, an incredible basketball mine, and a guy that allowed me, a New York City point guard, to play through mistakes and instill tremendous confidence in me and gave me an opportunity. So if he doesn't give me that, it doesn't propel me to have a seventeen year career.

So I'm forever grateful I played for so many Hall of fame coaches off the top of my head, pat Riley, Lanny Wilkins, Uh, Jerry Sloan, Larry Bird, who was not a Hall of Fame coach, but the Hall of Fame UH basketball player obviously in one of the truly greats. Um was an incredible basketball coach because he knew what he he understood what he what he knew, and he

understood what he didn't know. And he instilled, you know, quality guys around him in the late Dicata and and Rick call out and allowed them to, you know, to a certain extent, control the offensive and the defensive side of the floor. And Bird was a brilliant basketball mine that trusted us. I'm trying to think about Luknaseca, who obviously is a Hall of Fame coach. UM I played for some Off the top of my head is Larry Brown. Was that Brown was the Hall of Fame coach that

I played for in Los Angeles and in Indiana twice. UM. So I've been around some some some great basketball minds that I've stolen from learning what to do and just as important, what not to do, because they all they were not perfect. But I learned what to do and what not to do, and I still things and to the day when I became a head coach that I took a little piece of them and it made me

better as a basketball mine and a basketball coach. Well, everybody knows, Mark, you helped set the table for the Warriors for the success that they've had with the four championships, not just as a coach, but as a talent evaluator, whether it's picking Stuff Curry over Monte Ellis, drafting Clay Thompson.

Obviously you were there and a part of that. And then you recognized early on the talent of both those guys and made the statement, I know you've been asked this a thousand times, but made the statement that Clay Thompson and Steph Curry will be the greatest shooting backcourt in NBA history. Is true? That is a true statement. At the time, a lot of people probably were like, why is Mark saying that? How did you know? What

was it about those two guys? Considering all the great players, great shooters that you played with or against, and you already mentioned one of them, Reggie Miller, who probably prior to those two guys you could say was maybe the greatest shooter ever, certainly in clutch situations. What about those two guys stood out to you to make that statement. It's funny because to me, I get credit for it, But it was an easy call. And I know people you know doubted it then and thought I was crazy

and going overboard. It was an absolute easy call to make. I watched those guys every single day shooting shots at a level I've been fortunate enough and blessed enough to

play alongside of. I want to say about, you know, seven eight guys that if you put the greatest if you took the fifteen greatest players, the greatest shooters just shooting the basketball, fifteen or twenty guys, I got eight to ten of them that I played with that would be on that list, And any one of those guys can come out of that gym as as the winner if they had a shooting content. You talked about Reggie Miller. Off the top of my head, Chris Mullen. I played

with Dale Ellis. I played with Dale Curry. I played with Eddie Johnson m I coached Steph Curry. I coached Clay Thompson. Forgive me if I'm forgetting anybody else that I played with that where they But those guys are. Those guys are great, great shooters. And to watch Steph and Clay shoot every single day and you can count

on your hand how many times they miss. The way that they played game, speed, in practice, shooting the basketball, the way they shot in games, variety of ways in which they can get this shot off and shoot it. It was an easy call for me to say they would be that they were the greatest shooting backhart in the history of the game, and for people to doubt it. And I'm not just thinking about them and the guys I played with. I'm a fan of the game. I

know the game inside out. If you said that they weren't, and you said who the best shooting backcourt outside of them statistically to me, and people would say, well, Jerry West and Gale Goods, that's not true. John Stockton and Jeff Hornesec both guys effective and efficient and good ones. One you know, Jeff is a great shooter. John is a very good shooter who statistically is a great shooter. Um, so those guys would be. Those guys would be second.

And with all due respect, I say this with all due respect, Stephan Clay are in a different class as far as shooters are concerned. So it was an easy call for me to make understanding the history of the

game and respecting the history of the game. It was a compliment to those guys, and I was privileged to not only, you know, make that call, but even more importantly, to have the privilege in honor to coach those guys and the guys that I had in Golden State, Mark, what would it take for you, because you have a great job, and I know you love your job and you love where you live in Los Angeles, what would it for you to go back and be a head coach again in the NBA? Well, I look forward to

the day when I when I'm coaching again. And that's not just in the NBA. I'd entertained coaching, you know, in college also, So I look forward to the day that I have an opportunity to lead a group of men uh A with a program, whether it be on

a college level on a professional level. I had an incredible time being part of something that was built in Golden State that has been able to be sustained with the greatness of Steve Kerr and that organization and what they've been able to do I had at the time of my life, playing a role and building something, helping to establish something with great coaching, great ownership, great great management,

and most importantly, great players. I really am excited about the opportunity to do it again at some point I look forward to it. Well, but I will say this, I'm at peace with who I am as a man, and I'm at peace for what God has for me. And if that doesn't happen, then I'm not gonna you know, I'm not going to lose my mind. I have an incredible job calling NBA finals and working for ESPN, ABC and working with guys and and and and Lisa that I love and enjoy every time I get the opportunity

to pull on the heads. Well, look, I and I'm not the only one that feels this way. I think it's crazy that you're not coaching right now again. As good as you are doing what you're doing and could do this for a long time, I'd love to see you get another chance, whether it's in the NBA or

running a college program. I think you deserve it. The job you did with the Warriors, going to the playoffs twice in three years, winning a playoff series, when the Warriors had been awful for as long as they were. I think it's overdue that you get another opportunity to be a head coach in the NBA or in college. As for with Christmas Day upon us in five games on ESPN, ABC, I'll be in Dallas, You'll be at Golden State. The Suns are playing in Denver. That's the

last game we just had them. You and Jeff and I did the Boston game where they're down forty five at one point. What do you make of the Sons And do you think if you and I know we talked about this on the year, if you had a list of teams that can win the championship, are the Sons in that mix as they currently exist or do they have to go out and make another move in

your mind? Well, I think as they currently exist, they are in the mix, and I will they put themselves further in the mix if they enhanced that talent and make a move. Absolutely, But I think they're good enough to win it all. And because of the leadership of Montie Williams, James Jones and what he's done from day one, Superstar and Devin Booker, who is as good as there is in this league to sit down and talk to.

I love his mindset. I'm even watching the game the other night where he has fifty seven, and he has an old school mentality. Because of the chippiness between the Pelicans and the Suns, they're on edge. He gets the ball clock doing ling down. Normally you would hold the basketball. He shoots a three at the buzzer, basically saying screw you to the Pelicans and everybody else. Just that mentality

that he has is refreshing. It's old school, and he's not trying to be friends out there, even though he's cardially respectful, and even Clay Thompson, the battle that they had with each other, nothing but respect and appreciation admiration for one another when the game was over. But in between those lines, you're gonna have to see me. That's the mentality that's refreshing, and that's the old school mentality

having Chris Paul. I think it's important for them to make sure he's healthy and whole and able to get to the finish line. But I think it would make them better to get another playmaker, taking the pressure off of Booker, and then to get some size. But they are certainly good enough in a seven game series to beat anybody in the East in the West. Two more questions, we'll get you out of here. Mark. For a lot of fans, Christmas Day is the start of the NBA season.

That's usually one of the biggest days, if not the biggest day in terms of ratings for the NBA. But obviously, guys like you and I have been calling games for the last two months and watching games on a regular basis. Who's the best team you've seen? Again? We just had Boston, but they've lost a couple of games to Orlando here in the last week, so I don't know if Milwaukee, in your mind, has overtaken them. Who do you think is the best team? It is a great question, and

it's it's wide open. I think Boston and Milwaukee are the best two teams right now. I think if you twisted mom, I would probably say Milwaukee because they've done it not being whole, even though Boston didn't have Robert Williams. But I think the valuable pieces that Milwaukee has been missing, and then they're going to be able to add even a guy like Joe Ingles who has the ability to play multiple positions, defend, play out of pick and roll,

make shots, gives them such depth and versatility. They're a dangerous, dangerous team. And Jannis again has that old school mentality not trying to make friends out there is an incredible basketball player that keeps his foot on the gas pedal at all times and only wants to get better. But Boston is going to be right there when you're talking about those two wing players. Wing players crucial in today's game, and they have two of the elite, not just wing players,

but players in the game of basketball. So it's gonna be a fun season and I can't wait to crown a championship because it is going to be tremendous having an opportunity to tell the story as it plays out last one and before actually ask the question, have you seen the documentary Love the Untold series on Netflix? Have you seen the Rise and Fall of And One? I'm assuming you've seen it. Yes, I did watch a little.

It's tough for me that I know watching Well, that's good emotionally, Yeah, I'm sorry, and that's why I wanted to ask you about the documentary. Your late brother Troy was such a big part also known as Big Escalade, big part of the N one mixtape tour. I have not seen untold the rise and fall of N one, but I've heard great things from a lot of people. Is that is that something I should be watching tonight? Is that? Like? Should that be on the menu? The

next thing I watch? If you get an opportunity? Absolutely, you know. I'm so proud of my young brother Escalade. And it's even funny calling Escalade. We know him as Troy and people say young that's just the same parents, Yes, same parents, Mom and dad Mary forty years the I guess got a little hot one day, ten years removed from my younger sister and we gotta we gotta a

son on the way. But the craziest thing that had happened I watched him grow and dream and and play, and then dreams fall short is not making it to the league, battling with Waite, and then I can remember, you know any one started and he becomes he said, well known. With knowing, I'm like, get known, and you know,

I brush it to the side. And then one day I go to the mall with him and we're walking through the mall and somebody runs up to me and I'm all ready to sign an autograph and take a picture and they say, can you can you take this picture with me and Escalator? And I'm like and and he could have he could have went on to be with guy that moment. He he he had made it because they wanted me to take a picture of them with him as opposed to me being the star in

the family. But I was extremely proud of him. I'm still proud of him when people calling to me today and talking about what he did for them, and it was spoke a word to them, encouraged them, helped them, gott them, nurtured them, mented them. His legacy lives on and I couldn't be proud of well. Mark. I really

enjoyed this. Thanks Jack so much for your time. Really appreciate it and looking forward to when our game's over, watching you guys on Sunday night, and look forward to working with you at some point here the next month. Continue the great work and again appreciate the time. Bro, You're the best man. Thanks for having me. It was

a blast. We were able to cover a lot there with Mark, whether it was his days as a player growing up, the other sports that Mark played, his broadcasting career, his coaching career, and also the potential of being a head coach again, whether it be in the NBA or at the major college level. I certainly think that's something that Mark has earned, given the job that he did with the Warriors those three years, and obviously being such a big name in basketball, given what he's accomplished as

a player and a broadcaster as well. Along with Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy, they are the longest US running broadcast team in NBA Finals history, and they'll call the Finals again in twenty twenty three. They'll also call the Warriors and Grizzlies as part of five games on ESPN ABC. On Christmas Day, I'll be in Dallas with

Hugh bey Brown calling the Lakers and the MAVs. We are presented by bet MGM, the official sports betting partner of the Arizona Cardinals, and by Hila River Resorts and Casinos. You can follow us on Twitter at pashpod, and we also welcome your review and rating. Check us out and tell us what you think by going to your podcast platform. Let us know if there's any guests you want to

hear from down the road. Certainly, thanks to you for listening, and thanks again to Mark Jackson for being this week's guest on the Dave Pash Podcast.