With all due respect to Steve Kerr, Mark Jackson should get the credit for the Golden State Warriors wrapping up the NBA Finals.
If it wasn’t for Jackson changing the culture of the Warriors, Golden State wouldn’t be champions, Stephen Curry wouldn’t be an MVP caliber player, and Klay Thompson wouldn’t be a star on the rise. Kerr has done a marvelous job with this team, and has put them at the top of the heap in the West not just for this year, but for years to come. However, Kerr was basically working off the blueprint Jackson laid out for this franchise.
Many people will say that Jackson couldn’t get over the hump, but there are legitimate reasons why Jackson couldn’t take this team to the promised land. Inexperience was one. Lack of size and lack of consistent bench hurt his chances as well. After Jackson was unfairly fired, the Warriors added the pieces that they needed that pushed this team from up-and-comers to contenders.
So all of the talk about how Jackson being unable to win with this team needs to cease. If Jackson was at the helm this season instead of Kerr, he would be in the same position right now, standing on center stage in Quicken Loans Arena hoisting the trophy.
Kareem Gantt covers the sports world for Rant Sports. For more from this author, follow him on Twitter, like him on Facebook, and add him to your network on Google.