At the end of the day, one thing is clear. Having Mark Jackson announce Warriors playoff games is extremely awkward.
Not to him, of course.
“I’ve read articles that I shouldn’t be doing it,” Jackson said on an ESPN conference call Monday morning. “To me, that was laughable. It’s been a blast.”
But not always for the viewers, at least not locally. Many have reported muting their television sound because they don’t feel that Jackson is impartial when it comes to the Warriors, the team that fired him last spring. There have been complaints that he sounds bitter at times, that he wants too much credit at other times.
But get used to it. Jackson will be calling the NBA Finals on ABC.
This awkward situation is brought to you courtesy of the ESPN-ABC family, which is either amused by the situation or unable to find a better replacement. It’s not Jackson’s fault he was given the top broadcasting slot. To the contrary, it’s an achievement that he went right from coaching the Warriors back to his former job in the booth.
“I’ve seen a lot of people fade to black when they get fired or let go,” he said. “I’m fortunate to have an incredible job.”
When I asked him if it was uncomfortable, like being the videographer at your ex’s wedding (an analogy that’s been popular on Twitter), he said it wasn’t.
“We move on,” he said. “I’m too blessed to be stressed.”
Andrew Bogut was amused by the videographer description.
“That’s a good analogy,” he said. “I’d call it a caterpillar to a butterfly.”
That, of course is a reference to Jackson’s comment on his first Warriors broadcast in January when he said, “You cannot disrespect the caterpillar and rave about the butterfly.”
That was the first, but not the last, time that Jackson’s commentary seemed to be all about him rather than the team he was covering. He joked that Gregg Popovich should have gotten fired after losing to the Clippers in Game 7, because, well, isn’t that what happens?
He has belittled Bogut’s role as an overrated “rim protector” and has not had much positive to say about his postseason play. Bogut, of course, has made no secret of his lack of relationship with Jackson, who was less than empathetic with his big man, once saying he thought Bogut injured himself sleeping.
After the butterfly comment, Bogut tweeted: “My new favorite movie: The Butterfly Effect! #UNDERrated.”
Last week, while answering a question about Steve Kerr, Bogut said, “Whenever you get a head coach who’s not full of himself it makes a big difference.”
Of course, some of the Warriors had a strong relationship with Jackson, notably Stephen Curry, who publicly went to bat for Jackson before he was fired. Which was why it was so surprising when Jackson came out in favor of James Harden for MVP. (Bogut’s response: “Well, it was April Fool’s Day.”)
“It didn’t really hurt my feelings, but it was just very surprising,” Curry said at that time. “People are going to ask what he thinks, especially with his ties to the Warriors organization and myself specifically. Surprised he said that, but it is what it is.”
Still it was noteworthy when, a month later, Curry won the MVP award and thanked everyone from his high school coach to the team security guard but notably left Jackson off his lengthy list of acknowledgments.
Curry said the team has moved on and that it’s not too awkward to have Jackson looming in the background of these milestone moments for the Warriors.
“Not really,” Curry said. “The two regular-season games it was very weird, especially the first one. But I don’t really think about the connection with last year as much. We’re wrapped up in the here and now. We’ve talked all year about how important he was to changing our identity as a team and we still believe in that.
“But we’re about this year and moving forward. It’s a healthy situation looking ahead and worrying about what’s going on now.”
The here and now is amazing to watch. Jackson says his own background with the team doesn’t come into the mix. He even denied being emotional when Draymond Green gave him a brief hug after the team won the Western Conference last week.
“To me, this is an assignment,” Jackson said. “It’s my job to tell the story. It is easy and is what I am paid to do. The story dictates itself to me and I relay the message to the viewers as good as I possibly can, whether it’s the Warriors or anybody else.”
But is he dictating the story completely? About how Curry rebounded after putting himself on the line to fully support Kerr, and how critical that was for team chemistry? About how key the experienced coaching staff Kerr hired — exactly the kind of staff Jackson refused to have — has made such a difference for the Warriors? About how brilliantly Bogut has been playing?
“As far as who I’m rooting for, I work for ESPN and ABC,” Jackson said. “I’m rooting for a great game.”