Isiah Thomas Amplifies Richard Jefferson’s Surprise at Mark Jackson Not Landing an NBA Coaching Job

When Richard Jefferson appeared on Mark Jackson’s co-hosted show, Come And Talk 2 Me, The latter asked his protege whether he was surprised that the former NBA coach had yet to attract the interest of any franchises. Jefferson didn’t hesitate to say yes. Just as his remarks stirred debates in the NBA community, Isiah Thomas soon echoed similar sentiments.

Jefferson even referenced their time together at the Golden State Warriors from 2012 to 2013 to substantiate his thoughts. The 44-year-old reflected on how Jackson instilled a strong culture within a team that lacked identity at the time.

“Only because I know you and I know how hard you work… I got traded to Golden State that first year… that was like halfway through your first season and to watch you implement culture, that was the thing. It was the culture building of how hard we are going to work, how I’m going to instill confidence in each and every one of you, and also a level of accountability. It’s been very surprising.”

The 2016 NBA champion soon pointed to how these decisions laid the groundwork for the Warriors’ long-term success. Jackson’s established culture gave Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson the freedom to evolve into one of the most lethal shooting tandems in NBA history. His approach also helped the franchise reach consecutive playoffs for the first time since 1992.

Jefferson thus felt that Jackson’s impact deserved another opportunity in an NBA hot seat. He argued that keeping the 59-year-old away from the bench was a disservice to the game, particularly to the youngsters who could benefit immensely from his coaching.

“There is not many coaches out there that I ever had an experience that did what you did. So, to see that haven’t had another job, that to me is a disservice to the game of basketball because there is too many young players from having you there.”

Jackson waits for another NBA coaching opportunity despite receiving widespread support from former NBA players and icons. This raises the question – why do NBA teams keep passing him over? The former Warriors coach has a straightforward answer to this.

Jackson blamed the Warriors’ narrative for never getting a second chance

Jackson was relieved of his duties as the Warriors’ head coach in May 2014. While the franchise expressed gratitude for his contributions, they felt a change was necessary. However, subsequent reports painted a different picture.

Allegations of intense religious rhetoric began to surface against Jackson. Some claimed he pressured players to attend church for the team’s betterment. Marcus Thompson’s 2017 book, Golden: The Miraculous Rise of Stephen Curry, detailed an incident where Jackson, his wife, and co-pastor applied oil to Curry’s sprained ankle.

Jackson later addressed these claims on Rich Kleiman’s Boardroom: Out of Office podcast, stating, “When you make a statement and say I force folks to come to church—are you kidding me? What sense does that make? Never in my life have I forced people to go to church. Steph Curry believes if he goes to God in prayer, he will be healed from his ankle issues.”

In 2014, Grantland’s Zach Lowe accused Jackson of secretly claiming the entire credit for the team’s success, writing, “Jackson went out of his way to point out, unsolicited and on the record, that it would be wrong to publicly credit any single assistant coach for the team’s transformation.”

These controversies caused Jackson’s reputation to suffer. They pushed him down the coaching ranks. Although the truth behind these accusations remains unclear, NBA franchises seem unwilling to risk hiring him and managing the potential media backlash.