It turns out that Stephen Jackson’s bid for an NBA comeback may be somewhat unrequited.
According to a report by Henry Wofford of CSN Bay Area on Sunday, the Warriors are saying that have NOT given Jackson an invite to training camp.
The Warriors say Stephen Jackson has not been invited to camp.
— Henry Wofford (@HenryWoffordCSN) July 10, 2016
The 38-year-old Jackson had apparently told ESPN’s Rachel Nichols, whose show “The Jump” Jackson has been a regular guest on, that he had gotten a camp invite from the Dubs. Nichols then proceeded to send out a congratulatory tweet announcing the news. This was evidently not the case, however, and Nichols has since deleted the tweet. She went on to post the following clarifications:
Totally correct & did not mean to start a ?. Way too early for official training camp invites. But we're Stephen's.. https://t.co/xZdJ9fcTlN
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) July 10, 2016
…TV family & we're so happy he is trying to make a comeback, and has been talking to the Warriors about camp. We are rooting for him.
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) July 10, 2016
Jackson making a comeback with Golden State, where he played from 2007 to 2009, never made much sense to begin with. The two attributes that the Warriors pride themselves on are three-point shooting and defense, both skills that left Captain Jack a long time ago. Additionally, the team doesn’t have very much young talent in need of mentorship from a veteran like Jackson, considering that they have made back-to-back NBA Finals appearances and just won 73 games.
The Warriors may still consider Jackson in an assistant coaching capacity as was previously reported. But it’s probably safe to close the book on the possibility of a “We Believe” reunion tour in Golden State next season.
H/T NBA Reddit
