A biography for Mark Jacksonhasn’t been written yet.
“With any frustration that you've been through in your life, just remember this. With Christ being raised from the dead, we have been risen with Him. Understand that because He got up, you got up.”
“When I think of my best coaches, I think of the guys who can deliver a message, who can allow their will, their winning spirit, to take over and become contagious in the locker room.”
“I believe I'm the slowest point guard who ever played. But it was a blessing as a kid not being as athletic, not being as fast, not being able to jump as high. It slowed the game down and forced me to be a real student of the game.”
“I had somebody once ask me, 'OK, you said that on the air, but what do you really believe?' That was insulting to me because what I say is what I think. I'm not going to sugar-coat or say anything differently.”
“Chris Paul's an all-time great.”
“Truthfully and I mean this from the bottom of my heart, I've never been insecure in my life.”
“I listened as a fan, I watched as a wannabe coach and wannabe player. I would listen to the games in a weird way as a kid, and that's in every sport.”
“I don't believe in rookie hazing. I believe in rookies doing stuff as rookies. Getting coffee. Getting donuts. Picking up a tab. Not a $15,000 or $30,000 tab.”
“I learned from great coaches like Phil Jackson that you need to know when to take time out when all hell is breaking loose. Everyone is looking to make an excuse and blame others. So you have to call a timeout and regroup.”
“What you see is what you get, and I'm going to be a fun-loving, enjoyable guy that's easy to talk to.”
“I've had situations where I led the league in assists and didn't make the All-Star team. I've had situations where my team was the best in the conference and I didn't make the All-Star team over say a guy like Penny Hardaway, who didn't play the first half of the season.”
“I had the time of my life coaching for three years in Golden State, was able to be part of a group that took a team that made the playoffs one time in 19 years, and made the playoffs two out of three years and changed the culture. So I'm proud of that.”
“At the end of the day, I always speak the truth.”
“I took over a job in Golden State with a bad culture, guys that said they wanted to win, but didn't want to win.”
“You've got to make sure you have the right people in the locker room. People who not only care about winning, but more importantly carry the flag of the organization.”
“I would say the first thing that enabled me to play 17 years is that I was not gifted as an athlete, and not gifted with quickness. So as a big 9-year-old kid, I had to think the game, because I couldn't beat people with my athleticism and my quickness. So it forced me to know the game inside out.”
“The importance in life is to never burn a bridge.”
“As a kid, I dreamt of playing in the NBA, I dreamt of coaching in the NBA, and I dreamt of announcing in the NBA, and I've fulfilled each and every one of those roles, and I'm extremely blessed.”
“I love my kids to death, and I'm a friend to my four kids. At the same time I hold them accountable. At the same time I'm tough at times. The same thing with players.”
“I've been on teams and I've witnessed teams that folded the tent and didn't practice and didn't play and wasn't supportive of one another when bad times came.”