NEW YORK — Nearing seven years since he was fired by Golden State, Mark Jackson remains eager for coaching work and still unable to find an opportunity. The former Knick acknowledged that the “narrative” surrounding his stint with the Warriors is a factor in being blackballed, and Jackson specifically defended himself against the accusation that he forced Steph Curry to go to church to heal his balky ankle.
“When you make a statement and say I force folks to come to church — are you kidding me? What sense does that make?” Jackson said on ‘The Boardroom: Out of Office Podcast” with host Rich Kleiman. “Never in my life have I forced people to go to church.”
Jackson, an ordained minister, once invited Curry to his church where he took part in a spiritual ceremony that included the guard removing his shoes, anointing his ankle with oil and demonstrating God’s healing power by hopping on his right foot, according to “Golden: The Miraculous Rise of Steph Curry.”
The book portrayed Curry as a willing participant in the ceremony, but the public reaction was a fanatical Jackson had forced intense religion on his player.
“First of all, Steph Curry believes if he goes to God in prayer, he will be healed from his ankle issues. Steph Curry himself believes that. So therefore if it did happen, or if it didn’t happen, at the end of the day, he’s healed,” Jackson said on the podcast. “And I thank God that he’s healed and he went on to become one of the truly great players in this game, a superstar and a class act.”
Kleiman, who is also Kevin Durant’s agent, claimed hypocrisy since Phil Jackson was hailed as a genius for incorporating spirituality into coaching.
“He was called the Zen Master. People do this all the time,” Kleiman said. “And for you, whatever you did or didn’t do, was nothing abnormal, was nothing that teams don’t have. They have chapel at every single stadium, every single arena. It’s insane.”
Jackson has interviewed at least twice for head coaching openings since he was fired by the Warriors, including for the Knicks job that went to David Fizdale in 2018. Kleiman, who grew up in New York a huge fan of Jackson as the Knicks point guard, has advocated for his boyhood idol behind the scenes.
“When I realized I had an opportunity to get at least a seat at the table to say how I feel — nobody is listening to me clearly — but you know damn well I made that a responsibility of mine,” Kleiman said.
The Nets were the only team that changed coaches with Durant on the roster, but it’s unclear if they interviewed Jackson before hiring Steve Nash last year. The New York Times reported that Kleiman pushed for the Knicks to hire Jackson before Durant’s free agency.
Jackson, a Brooklyn native and St. John’s great, has been a top analyst at ESPN since his dismissal at Golden State but is driven to get back on the sidelines, even if that means in the NCAA.
“I look forward to the day of being a head coach again,” Jackson said. “There’s obviously a drive in me and a dream where I want to be a head coach again in the NBA. I also wouldn’t mind coaching at a high level in college. But I certainly want to be a head coach again. I look forward to that day.”
