Stephen Jackson might have been let go by the San Antonio Spurs before their run to the 2013 NBA Finals this past season, but that doesn’t make him any less interesting an interview subject. Listen as we get the unedited Jackson interview from last month about his improverished upbringing in Texas and his tumultuous time with the Indiana Pacers when he was involved in the Malice at the Palace as well as the infamous strip club shooting.
Jackson’s life has been one of perseverance. Whether it was growing up in a violent neighborhood in Port Arthur, Texas where he was in a house that was shot at 48 times, or seeing a 14-year-old plunge to his death from a bridge on his first day in the Dominican Republic, Stephen Jackson admits that he’s seen a lot of death.
During an interview with Bomani Jones and Dan Le Batard that runs almost three times as long as the filtered version we wrote about last month, Jackson opens up about violent childhood neighborhood near Houston, Texas, the rough early beginnings of his pro career after missing out on an NCAA championship at the University of Arizona (he was tight with alum Mike Bibby), and the infamous Rio Club shooting while with the Indiana Pacers. And yes, he also talks more about the Malice in the Palace and getting waived by the Spurs right before their playoff run this year.
It’s an unedited window into the psyche of a controversial baller who offers a first-hand account of some of his more notorious off-the-court incidents, and doesn’t shy away from the tough questins from Jones and Le Batard. Jackson doesn’t really shy away from anything, as fans in Detroit know.
Is there another player in the NBA today who speaks more unvarnished truth than Stephen Jackson?
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