Klay Thompson on Mark Jackson: ‘It was tough seeing Coach go’
The writing were on the wall for former Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson when the Los Angeles Clippers defeated his team in the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs.
But unlike most coaches who would be fired, Jackson received a lot of support from the Warriors players, mainly Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. In an interview with USA TODAY Sports, Klay Thompson, fresh off a gold medal victory over Serbia in the 2014 FIBA World Cup finals, says it was tough seeing his former head coach go, though he continues to support the front office whose track record is proven.
"Q: Look backwards a little bit for me. Your team has had a busy summer, so looking back — just to pick one of the topics — how do you see the decision to let (former Warriors coach) Mark (Jackson) go and hire Steve (Kerr)?A: It was tough seeing Coach (Jackson) go, but at the end of the day the front office did what they felt would be best for us to win. They’ve made great moves in the past, so no reason not to trust them on this move. I’ve talked to Steve and he seems really good, like a guy who is really going to open it up for us. I’m excited to work with him."
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It’s easy to see why Thompson–and Curry–loved Jackson. Unlike anyone else, Jackson showed faith in the ‘Splash Brothers’ and never allowed it to waver. As Klay grew as a player, Jackson allowed his role to increase within the offense, relying heavily on his ability to post-up smaller wings.
But that’s the past and Thompson-plus are fully aware of that. Though Jackson was mildly successful as head coach, there’s a lot of pressure on Kerr going into the 2014-15 season–he AT LEAST has to be as successful as Jackson was.
If not, this entire era could rear and ugly head.
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