Pistons Legend Isiah Thomas Credits Mark Jackson For Ex-Warriors Duo’s Brilliance: ‘There Would Be No Steph Curry; No Klay Thompson’ | NBA news

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Stephen Curry is often credited with changing how basketball is played today. The game was already heading to the perimeter, and Curry was the catalyst for immediate change. Along with his former teammate, Klay Thompson they formed Splash Brothers duo and the rest is history. Now, Steph is considered the greatest shooter of all time, with Thompson not too far behind. But Pistons legend Isiah Thomas believes this would not have been the case without the Warriors’ former head coach, Mark Jackson.

Isiah Thomas credits Mark Jackson for Curry and Thompson’s Confidence From Beyond the Arc

During a conversation on the Mark Jackson show, Isiah Thomas shed light on how the former Warriors coach was instrumental in the development of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. He said, “If Mark Jackson doesn’t let Steph shoot from the hash mark, doesn’t let Klay take bad shots and doesn’t pump them up and say ‘These are the greatest shooters ever,’ there wouldn’t be no Steph, there wouldn’t be someone Klay.” (via Come and talk Come talk 2 me)

The Pistons legend further added, “I hope when he goes into the Hall of Fame, he remembers you as the first person who gave him the kind of confidence that he plays with today.” Curry also seems to recognize how important Jackson was to him and the Warriors. During a conversation on The Old Man and The Three podcast, Curry revealed that he never wanted the Warriors to get rid of Mark Jackson. Here is what he had to say:
“The way he (Bob Myers) approached the job, the good decisions he’s made and bringing coach (Steve) Kerr into, which was a really tumultuous conversation, situation because I fought the hell out of it… Didn’t (fight) Steve. I didn’t want them to fire Mark for anything.”
While Stephen Curry may never have wanted Mark Jackson’s firing, it turned out to be a blessing for the Dubs. Steve Kerr took over in 2014, and since then the Warriors have won four championships and been to six NBA Finals. Safe to say Mark Jackson’s firing paved the way for the Warriors’ dynasty.
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Steve Kerr has as much faith in Stephen Curry as Mark Jackson did. He recently revealed that it is realistic for the team to build around a 37-year-old Steph. Kerr mentioned that it’s up to the coaching staff to put Steph in the playoffs, surrounded by a roster that can do serious damage. Hopefully we’ll see something like that come NBA Playoffs time.
What do you think of Mark Jackson’s influence on Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson? Let us know in the comments below.