'Lies Have to Stop!' Mark Jackson Responds to Lost New York Knicks Broadcasting Job Rumors
Mark Jackson took to Instagram to explain why he's not calling New York Knicks games this season.
A Wednesday report from the New York Post said that Jackson, a former Knicks point guard and lead analyst for ESPN/ABC's NBA coverage, was ousted from a job at MSG Network by the team president Leon Rose due to a long-standing issue with current New York assistant coach and former Golden State Warriors colleague Darren Erman. In his response, Jackson said that his departure from MSG's broadcast schedule was a voluntary decision rather than a team-mandated removal.
"Come on man. Come on. At some point, the lies have got to stop. The lies have got to stop," Jackson said in his Instagram post. "Today, a report came out that I was fired or dismissed from calling Knick games. (I was) honored and privileged to have an offer bestowed upon me to back up the legend Walt Clyde Frazier, calling Knick games."
"Over a week ago, I turned that job down. You heard what I said: More than a week ago, I turned the job down due to the fact that it wasn't the ideal conditions, and it wasn't the ideal time for me."
Rumors of Jackson joining MSG lingered throughout the offseason after he was part of ESPN's company-wide summer layoffs. MSG reportedly reached out to both Jackson and fellow Knicks/ESPN alum Jeff Van Gundy about filling in for Frazier as he prepared to "cut back on road games." While Van Gundy eventually took on a consulting position in Boston, Jackson was said to be close to a deal and would've taken over for Frazier during the Knicks' ongoing five-game road trip.
But the report from The Post said that Jackson would not be allowed to travel or board with the team as president Leon Rose "put a kibosh on the arrangement in part due to an old quarrel with Jackson and an assistant coach."
Jackson acknowledged the report, penned by Andrew Marchand and Stefan Bondy, directly, crediting the authors for seeking him out for a quote while maintaining that it was his choice to stay off the air.
“I give the reporter credit, four calls yesterday from reporters trying to get a quote from me. I did not respond because I don't play that game," he said. "I let it alone thinking that it'll die and nobody will know what happened. But over a week ago, I turned the job down."
Erman was one of Jackson's assistants during the latter's term as the head coach of the Golden State Warriors. He was fired toward the end of the 2013-14 season for a "violation of company policy" shortly before Jackson's own ousting from the Bay Area bench. A report from Chris Broussard, then of ESPN, revealed that Erman had recorded meetings and conversations with coaches and players without their knowledge or consent.
Jackson seen in July 2022
Jessica Alcheh-USA TODAY Sports
"I've sat back year after year after year, listening to lies, questioning me as a man and my integrity for what I stand for, what I was raised on," Jackson said. "I sat back and didn't say anything. My guy, the coach, the legend, coach Deion Sanders, Coach Prime, has a great quote, that I listened to just recently: He said he lost the address to the high road."
"I'm not there yet, but I'm getting closer, because there's a side of me that's fed up, that's upset that you keep on smearing my name."
Though things fell through this time around, Jackson did not appear to rule out the idea of calling Knicks games in the future.
Based on his biography alone, Jackson is perhaps one of the best candidates to fill in for, or perhaps even succeed, the franchise legend Frazier: the Brooklyn native starred at St. John's before joining the Knicks as a first-round pick in the 1987 draft. He'd earn Rookie of the Year honors and an All-Star bid over his first five professional seasons before he was dealt to the Los Angeles Clippers. Jackson would later return to the Knicks for parts of two more seasons in the twilight of his playing career.
"You never know what the future holds," Jackson said. "They say once a Knick, always a Knick, I bleed a side of me blue and orange. I dreamt of playing for the Knicks. I dreamt of calling games for the Knicks. It would've been a dream accomplished, but it just didn't work out."
"Forever grateful, and again, you never know what the future holds. But I want to thank you. Blessings."
With Jackson out, MSG studio analyst and former NBA All-Star Wally Szczerbiak has been on the mike as the lead color commentator for this New York road trip, which has already worked through Boston and Atlanta.
The trek continues on Friday when the Knicks (6-5) face the Washington Wizards on Friday night in the nation's capital (7 p.m. ET, MSG).
