Stephen Jackson Says He Has No Regrets About Exit from Spurs


Both Stephen Jackson and the San Antonio Spurs are in Miami this week, but for vastly different reasons. Jackson, naturally, says he has no regrets about how acrimoniously things ended for him in San Antonio, and the missed opportunity to play in the NBA Finals once again. Per the Express-News: “Stephen Jackson flew commercial to Miami on Tuesday. He should have been on the Spurs’ charter. He should have been joking with Tim Duncan and listening to Gregg Popovich. He should have been preparing for his second Finals and hoping he would get a few minutes trying to defend LeBron James; the Spurs might have been better for that, too. Instead, Jackson sat in 3A, on United flight 1158, from Houston to Miami. Any regrets, he was asked? ‘Nope,’ he said. ‘Got my money.’ He smiled broadly, as if to convince himself. Jackson says he didn’t come to Miami to watch the Finals. He said he hasn’t watched any of the Spurs’ games this spring. He’s here to have fun, and he’s been having a lot since the Spurs released him. Jackson has been sharing his luxurious life online, from a trip to Jamaica to the occasional pedicure. The posts have also come about the time the Spurs have been playing games. […] A year ago Jackson announced, in so many words, Gregg Popovich was the only coach who could handle him. Tuesday he said he refused this season to play Popovich’s ‘mind games.’ […] Jackson insists Popovich wanted him to admit (Danny) Green and (Manu) Ginobili were better. More than likely, Popovich simply told Jackson they were better. That’s why they were playing instead of him. Pride wouldn’t let Jackson accept that, and he admitted as much Tuesday. After showing the initial flash of anger when talking about Popovich, he later said Popovich knows him well, and that the release ‘was best for me so I wouldn’t go crazy.’ Or, as Jackson said Tuesday, again smiling, ‘I wouldn’t want me on the team, either.'”