Former NBA player and head coach Mark Jackson shared a cryptic message after the New York Knicks hired Mike Brown.
Mark Jackson Shares Enigmatic Message
Mark Jackson with a message on the same day Mike Brown had his Knicks press conference 👀 pic.twitter.com/PouVS6BPzm
— 2Cool2Blog (@2Cool2Blog) July 8, 2025
Jackson coached the Golden State Warriors for three seasons from 2011 to 2014. Jackson was fired in May 2014.
Steve Kerr replaced Jackson and has since led the Warriors to four NBA titles. Meanwhile, Jackson has never coached in the NBA since his firing.
Jackson shared a mysterious message on Tuesday, which coincided with the Knicks hiring Brown.
“You’re more than qualified, your resume says you’re more than qualified, your body of work says you’re more than qualified, so it’s easy to get depressed,” Jackson said via 2Cool2Blog. “It’s easy to get discouraged, it’s easy to get down, it’s easy to have doubt and start questioning. I don’t know who I’m talking to. You even prayed about it, asked about it, and it didn’t happen. Well, it didn’t happen for a reason. The worst place to be in this world is outside the will of God… What’s yours is yours. Stay ready, so you don’t have to get ready.”
Has Mark Jackson Been Blackballed From The NBA?
Jackson went 121-109 in three seasons, leading the Warriors to the postseason twice. Golden State’s best season under Jackson came in 2012-2013, when the Warriors reached the conference semifinals.
Compared to some other coaches who have received second chances, Jackson certainly deserved another chance to coach in the NBA. At the very least, he could have been an assistant.
If the former ESPN broadcaster wants to coach again, why hasn’t Jackson received an opportunity to do so?
There is a theory that Jackson has been blackballed from the NBA. This stems from alleged behind-the-scenes drama while coaching in Golden State.
In 2019, Andre Iguodala, who played in Golden State, told The Breakfast Club that Jackson’s strong views on marriage and sexuality clashed with the Warriors’ openly gay president, Rick Welts.
“Once they want you out, they’re going to find something,” Iguodala said about Jackson’s dismissal.
FS1’s Nick Wright recently did not go so far as to say that Jackson was blackballed. Wright believes the NBA “decided he’s not getting another job.”
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith recently said the Knicks should have considered Jackson for their head coaching vacancy.
“I’m gonna always mention Mark Jackson because he’s been away from the game for a decade as a coach,” Smith said on First Take. “This man was responsible for building Golden State before Steve Kerr was brought in and took over and piggybacked off of that and ascended to four championships, no doubt.”
Blackballed or not, Jackson will not be coaching during the 2025-2026 NBA season.
