Stephen Jackson Says He Quit on Bobcats When Gerald Wallace Was Traded

Stephen Jackson will be playing for his seventh different NBA team this year. An 11-year veteran, Jackson has bounced around about as much as possible and been relatively productive wherever he’s gone. When the Bucks take on the Bobcats on Monday, he will be taking taking on the most recent of his former teams, the Bobcats.  According to Jackson, he gave up on Charlotte when Gerald Wallace was traded to the Blazers last February.

“When Gerald left, I really left,’’ Jackson said Monday according to the Charlotte Observer. “Considering what we did (getting to) the playoffs, and then all those changes. To take Gerald away really took a lot out of me. I still was trying to do my job as best I can, but it was a lot harder.  When they got rid of Gerald, that let me know they didn’t want to win. I didn’t want to be part of a place like that.’’

There are plenty of veterans who have been stuck on rebuilding teams that feel the same way, but most keep it to themselves.  Jackson said he feels as though the Bucks give him a better chance to reach the playoffs, but he has “no hard feelings” toward his former team.  However, Milwaukee was 35-47 a year ago and is a team with a number of holes.  Jackson said he wasn’t going to be happy “just losing” in Charlotte, so should Bucks fans be worried?  Their new player has basically admitted he calls it quits when times are tough.

Chest bump to I Am a GM for the story.