20 years after retiring from the NBA, Mark Jackson explains his toughest day on the basketball court. He last played in 2004 for the Houston Rockets. But for him, the hardest day was during the 1989 season. He started his career with his hometown team, the New York Knicks in 1987. During the second season in 1988, he also won the NBA Rookie of the Year. Jackson was doing so well, so why did the fans turn on him?

During episode 9 of The Mark Jackson Show on Come And Talk 2 Me YouTube channel, Jackson revealed it all. He spoke in detail about how at the beginning since his high school days fans loved him. One night, it all changed: “I became the bad guy, 20,000 people night in and night out booing me.”

Jackson narrated the story of what change he brought in himself after the negative reaction from the New York Knicks fans. “The crazy thing is my entire life high school, college, Rookie of the Year, second year in Allstar, my third year was the first time that ever got booed.  I am a hometown kid playing in front of my hometown fans and I became the bad guy. 20,000 people night in and night out booing me. and what I realized right then and there is um that it’s a business. For the first time in my life, it became a business.”

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Did Mark Jackson win over the New York Knicks fans?

Jackson continues how it was important for him to not take the reaction from the crowd personally. He thanks his supportive parents and their role in making him understand that there is life beyond the basketball court. “But thank God that I was brought up brought up properly by two incredible parents and a household that was very loving and caring. And I realized that was what was important the folks that matter to you the most. Not the folks that see you one time or for 20 minutes or 48 minutes.”

The former Warriors coach reiterates how it’s not only the boos that he takes to heart. He never let the praise affect him too. “So I take it with a grain of salt. And if you don’t allow the praise to define you then you won’t allow the noise of the crowd the boos to define you neither. So I don’t get caught up in being too high or too low, it’s a valuable lesson.”

Jackson continues how after some poor performance from him and the team, the New York Knicks hired a new coach Pat Riley, a year and a half later.  “Coach Pat Riley who’s obviously one of the Godfathers of the league gave me an opportunity to win my job back. We go to the Eastern Conference Finals and I leave New York City at that time on a high note.”

Though the Knicks lost in the semifinals 3-4 to the Chicago Bulls, Jackson had high assists in 4 out of 7 games. Thus, earning his rightful praise from the fans.

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