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Former Spur Jaren Jackson is an NBA Legend

by sungo on Dec 15, 2006 3:13 PM CST in Spurs News

No, really. It says so right here.

Jaren Jackson is a member of the National Basketball Retired Players Association, and their website runs interviews under the title "One-on-One With a Legend." Other legends include Mark Randall and the immortal Michael Cage. (How many of you can picture his 90-91 Hoops card with the gheri-curl? I know I can, and it's a beautiful picture in my mind.)

I don't want to poke too much fun at Jaren. After all, he was the starting shooting guard for the first Spurs championship team. And while it may be true that over half of the NBA SGs at the time could have filled his role, the simple fact is they didn't. He hit some big shots and played tough defense in the playoffs. He's a part of Spurs history.

And apparently he's doing quite well for himself. He was the 2006 Coach of the Year in the CBA, and his wife is an attorney and professor at American University. That's pretty cool.

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Re: Former Spur Jaren Jackson is an NBA Legend

Good for him!

by adam8065 on Dec 15, 2006 3:16 PM CST reply actions

Re: Former Spur Jaren Jackson is an NBA Legend

After all, he was the starting shooting guard for the first Spurs championship team.<<

No he wasn't. It was Mario Elie. Jackson was like the 7th or 8th man, behind perhaps Will Perdue and Antonio Daniels.

by Aaronstampler on Dec 15, 2006 4:57 PM CST reply actions

Re: Former Spur Jaren Jackson is an NBA Legend

Oops. You're right. Jackson started the year before. I did some digging, and he averaged 20 MPG in the playoffs, sixth on the team.

by sungo on Dec 15, 2006 5:22 PM CST up reply actions

Re: Former Spur Jaren Jackson is an NBA Legend

I remember while the champagne was flying around right after game 5 in New York, Pop was giving an interview on television. Jackson came over to pour some on coach's head, and Pop made a sarcastic remark in a joking voice kind of like, "Oh, don't mind him, he's just trying to get a new contract." Awkward pause. Then more champagne.

And then he got the contract. And stunk up the joint for a few years after that. Classic case of Jerome James syndrome. Come to think of it, they both have the same initials...

by schwazz on Dec 15, 2006 6:19 PM CST reply actions

Re: Former Spur Jaren Jackson is an NBA Legend

I found this part of the interview interesting -

"At halftime of Game 5 (final game of the series), I remember Avery being as intense as he is now, and he went off on all of us in the locker room. He was very emotional at the time and there was nothing else to be said. Any other time, an argument would have broken out, but at that point in time, he demanded the respect from us, and we responded in the second half."

Did Jaren just imply that people generally were sick of AJ, yet during this one moment they put up with him?

by Jones on Dec 16, 2006 3:42 PM CST reply actions

Re: Former Spur Jaren Jackson is an NBA Legend

AJ was always a prick. Always. Just because he worked hard and made something of himself it doesn't make him this great person. It just means he is motivated. Telling Robinson that Jesus doesn't love him because he didn't play that great in some basketball game is a bit over the line I think, no matter how competitive one is, and I'm not even Christian. So, this theory that somehow being around Cuban has somehow warped AJ's mind and his sense of sportsmanship is false, I think. He was always this way. The Mavs just let him express his personality more freely.

I wish Manu would make like Kobe and switch his uniform number to 6 just to piss Avery off.

by Aaronstampler on Dec 16, 2006 5:03 PM CST reply actions

Re: Former Spur Jaren Jackson is an NBA Legend

Jaren Jackson called my house several times looking for one of his ho's. True story - I was renting the place with a couple of my friends, and he started calling our place the day after a particularly irresponsible party we had there. We still have no idea who she was. I started answering the phone "'ello, Paco's Taco's Can we take your order please?" whenever he called. That went on for about three days.