#40 – Stephen Jackson
He could be on this list solely for being the first NBA player to dunk on Yao Ming, but the thoroughness of Jackson’s game can’t be ignored either. Another former casualty of the Post-Palace Pacers, Stephen Jackson may never find sanity but in Golden State, he’s found salvation as the Warriors’ emotional leader and, in the wake of Baron bouncing, likely their best player (recall their 0-7 start last season while he was suspended).
After escaping the confines of an organization that held him by the shortest leash both on and off the court, Jackson blew up his first season in Oakland. His numbers bumped up across the board and he played a key role in the Warriors’ memorable upset of the Mavs, relegating the MVP* to non-factor status. Last season, he put up 20/4/4 and was called on to guard the opposition’s best wing night in and night out; his versatility as a defender makes him indispensable to a team like Golden State that has so few of them.
Despite all this, what makes Jackson so valuable is his passion; his gift and his curse. The same thing that made him chase into the Palace stands to brawl with spectators in defense of his teammate is what fuels his on-court intensity, and to some extent the Warriors’ frenetic attack. Strip club parking lot shootouts aside, his craziness inspires greatness. So Don Nelson better fuck his wife or something, because his team’s going to need Jackson to be greater than ever next season.
He could be on this list solely for being the first NBA player to dunk on Yao Ming, but the thoroughness of Jackson’s game can’t be ignored either. Another former casualty of the Post-Palace Pacers, Stephen Jackson may never find sanity but in Golden State, he’s found salvation as the Warriors’ emotional leader and, in the wake of Baron bouncing, likely their best player (recall their 0-7 start last season while he was suspended).After escaping the confines of an organization that held him by the shortest leash both on and off the court, Jackson blew up his first season in Oakland. His numbers bumped up across the board and he played a key role in the Warriors’ memorable upset of the Mavs, relegating the MVP* to non-factor status. Last season, he put up 20/4/4 and was called on to guard the opposition’s best wing night in and night out; his versatility as a defender makes him indispensable to a team like Golden State that has so few of them.
Despite all this, what makes Jackson so valuable is his passion; his gift and his curse. The same thing that made him chase into the Palace stands to brawl with spectators in defense of his teammate is what fuels his on-court intensity, and to some extent the Warriors’ frenetic attack. Strip club parking lot shootouts aside, his craziness inspires greatness. So Don Nelson better fuck his wife or something, because his team’s going to need Jackson to be greater than ever next season.
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