Mark Jackson

I, of course, do not know former NBA player and coach Mark Jackson personally.  I saw him play in college, then with the Knicks, and was impressed with how when he became coach he took the Golden State Warriors from horrible to respectable in a few short years.

I was surprised when Jackson was fired amidst claims that there were powerful egos at war on the Golden State team, and even more surprised that now that the Warriors are reigning champions and vying for this year's championship as well, nobody seems to give the guy credit for being the architect that laid the foundation for the team's successes.

In one way I am glad that Jackson is no longer a coach.  Jackson, now a pro ball sportscaster, is an excellent and insightful commentator.  He is teamed up with his ex Knick coach, Jeff Van Gundy, on broadcasts that have Mike Breen doing the play by play. The three of them are excellent.  Breen is outstanding describing the action, Van Gundy on target with his analysis, and Jackson every bit as good with his insights.  Last night the Cleveland-Toronto game was another blowout, yet I was interested in watching the broadcast in part to hear the comments from the booth.  Often I will mute the sound on sporting events if I am reading at the same time or have some music playing in the background that I prefer to the jock chatter.  But Jackson in particular is worth listening to for what he adds to the experience for the spectator.  He probably wishes he would get another shot at coaching, but the viewing audience might hope that he stays where he is.