Stephen Jackson goes rogue. Gets traded by his own ego.
Before Stephen Jackson went “off-script” at the beginning of this season, everyone here in Warriorsland knew that he could jump off the campaign bus at any minute. Ric Bucher pretty much laid it out back in 2008 when he wrote a very sympathetic article about Jackson. Bucher explained the two sides of Jackson as such:
The two faces of Stephen Jackson are so distinct he has names for each. Stack Jack, a nickname his rappers hung on him as the man with stacks of cash, is the hyperanimated side, forever riding to the rescue, on the street or in the game. Stephen is the relaxed, charitable jokester. “The guy everybody loves,” he says.
What Bucher’s article acknowledges is that, while Stack Jack’s intentions might be noble, his riding to the rescue usually does more harm than good. In the past months, Stack Jack reared his head again, taking over majority ownership of Stephen’s brain and went riding again, but in this case he was out to rescue himself. And as usual, it didn’t quite work out the way he planned - so much for going to a winning team, Stack.
Back to going rogue. So, what do Stephen Jackson and Sarah Palin have in common (besides maybe a fondness for guns and not liking to take directions from stubborn old white dudes)? Well, I remember spotting this article back during the election where some therapists armchair diagnosed Sarah Failin’ as having Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Symptoms are:
A grandiose sense of self-importance (exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements). Has a sense of entitlement, i.e. unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations.
Sound like someone we know? That last part is what gets me - the unreasonable expectations. C’mon Stack Jack, did you really expect to hustle Bobby Rowell for millions, disrespect the organization and teammates, say you’re as good as Kobe Bryant, let your agent talk crazy about your coach, dismiss being a team captain, demand to get traded (and to a winning team at that), and think that your demands would be met in full? Really Stack Jack? Really? This, ladies and gentlemen, is what happens when someone gets hijacked by their Texas-sized ego.
The unfortunate thing is that Stack Jack worked against Stephen Jackson’s best interest. I can’t imagine Charlotte and Larry Brown are going to be a good fit for him, but who knows? I really liked Stephen Jackson. How could you not when he was wearing the Santa Hat, reading to kids and making love to pressure? You want this guy on your team. But only with a strong capo, (cough..cough..Baron Davis) can Stack Jack be kept in check. So, today I’m hoping that Stack Jack got on that plane to Charlotte and Stephen Jackson got off - for the sake of all that is good in the world… and for The Charlotte Bobcats. Stephen Jackson, you will be missed. Stack Jack, uh, not so much.
M. Meschery
Great read. Jax’s ego definitely bought his ticket out of town, but this is not entirely his fault. He was who we thought he was. He’s best when he’s your second (or third) best player. His ego is fragile. Jack was never the problem here. Nellie/Rowell/Cohan made this mess, not Jack. When they undermined Mully’s efforts to resign Baron, Jack wasn’t happy. Against Mully’s advise, they bribed Jack with an expensive extension. Jack is not & will never be a first option on an NBA team yet that expectation was placed on him. Last season was one long example of this truth. He has never been & will never be the leader of a team. Why Nellie/Cohan/Rowell expected him to become a leader after showing no leadership qualities his entire career boggles the mind. Had the W’s completed the Stoudemire deal this summer, none of this happens. Jack would have been happy back in his role on 2nd banana on a competitive team. Instead, the front office drafted the carbon copy of their best player & screwed team chemistry further than it was already screwed. Maybe he shouldn’t have demanded a trade, but he was definitely justified in being pissed at a dysfunctional organization. The W’s were competitive because of Chris Mullin. Period. Mark my words, this team will continue to suck while Nellie/Cohan/Rowell are in charge. Mully knew that you keep up and coming teams together so they can grow and develop. Ask anyone from Portland, Denver or even Oklahoma City about the value of keeping young teams together. An IRS accountant can (and hpoefully will) do ab better job of running an NBA team thanthese jokers. Love Jack, hate him, it doesn’t really matter. When it comes to why this team is in turmoil, he was just a symptom, not the cause.
Comment by alanwilliams | 11.17.2009 | 12:48 pm
Well stated. Next up is the discussion about Monta’s future. He’s already in category-three rebellion, refusing to take on any responsibility for the failures that are sure to come. And somewhat remarkably, the Warriors management seems to think that removing Stack Jack from his list of mentor figures will help him develop as a leader. At least that’s the buzz. Seems like it might be a year too late for that sort of thinking.
Comment by admin | 11.17.2009 | 2:04 pm
Indeed, looks like Monta’s got a bit of Stack Jack in him now too:
http://www.goldenstateofmind.com/
Comment by matthewmeschery | 11.17.2009 | 3:50 pm