Former Golden State Warriors coach and current ESPN commentator Mark Jackson hasn't minced words about his ex-team. He even stated that, if you twisted his arm, Stephen Curry wasn't his MVP.
Mark Jackson says Steve Kerr should be Coach of the Year
The former Golden State Warriors coach gave his replacement a vote of confidence and spoke kindly of Stephen Curry.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
But after the Warriors win over the New Orleans Pelicans in Game 1 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs, he had some nicer words about his replacement, current Warriors coach Steve Kerr.
“In my opinion, [Kerr is] the Coach of the Year,” Jackson told the Bay Area News Group. “He has elevated this basketball team.”
Kerr led the Warriors to a 67-15 record in the regular season, which was good enough to earn the top seed in the Western Conference by 11 games and was a team record for Golden State. Kerr broke Paul Westphal’s NBA record of 62 for wins by a first-year coach.
Last season, Jackson led the Warriors to a 51-31 record, good enough for the sixth seed in the West . They lost in the first round to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Jackson also took a step back in his words about Curry, telling the Bay Area News Group that he “very well may be the MVP of this league.”
“He’s a guy who competes on both sides of the basketball,” Jackson said. “He has pride on both ends of the floor. That’s part of the MVP discussion. He’s not just a guy who plays on the offensive end. He deserves a lot of credit.”
Curry had the best season of his young NBA career, averaging 23.8 points and 7.7 assists per game while leading the Warriors to an historic season and earning the (slight) nod in SB Nation’s MVP selection.
The Warriors beat the New Orleans Pelicans, 106-99, in the first game of their seven-game series. They play again Monday night.
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