Stephen Jackson is no longer suspended. Just don’t expect him to be smiling next time you seem him in a Warriors uniform.
Jackson and his employers met yesterday to discuss their problems, and based on his post-meeting interview, it’s safe to say that Stephen still isn’t a very happy camper.
From the Contra Costa Times:
“I’ve got no choice but to go out there,” Jackson said in a phone interview Monday. “I’m just going to do my job. I don’t want to be fake. I’m just going to go and play basketball and handle my business.”
Team president Robert Rowell couldn’t be reached for comment. General manager Larry Riley declined to speak on the matter aside from what the team released in Saturday’s suspension announcement. But he and coach Don Nelson are scheduled to meet with Jackson before today’s practice. The three are expected to converse about how to move forward, especially considering a trade involving Jackson is unlikely. “If something happens, then it happens,” Jackson said. “But I’m just going to play, just do what I do.”
As you likely already suspected, like everything else, this is all somehow Kobe’s fault: On Friday night, Jackson was enraged by a perceived lack of support from his own coaching staff when he began to rack up fouls against Bryant (who was allegedly throwing elbows) and the Lakers.
On a more serious note, the Stephen Jackson/Don Nelson relationship is suddenly now the dominant storyline in Warriors-land. Because, you know, that team didn’t have enough problems to begin with.
