It’s another second act for Mark Jackson. And he’s being real about it. Four episodes into his self-titled podcast, the former coach and broadcaster is touching on the infamous setbacks from his career. Before losing his ESPN job, Jackson was assigned to call games for Golden State Warriors, the same team that relieved him of his coaching position. While most think it would’ve been awkward, the NBA veteran put a positive spin on it.

When his son, Bluu asked how it felt to call Warriors games on their podcast, Jackson was not as miserable as most think he would be. “Every single time I had to call a game for the Warriors, I thought about that kid dreaming of this. ‘I’m calling the NBA Finals, are you kidding me?’ I’m excited I’m honored I’m thrilled and I’m blessed.”

Since the Dubs hired Jackson as the head coach in 2011, he led the team to the playoffs but never a championship. The team let him go in 2014 and hired Steve Kerr. Immediately, he signed a multi-year contract with ESPN as a game analyst.

Marking the coach-to-broadcasting journey was also Jackson’s former coach, Jeff Van Gundy who was his commentating partner for most of his ESPN career. The following season, Stephen Curry‘s squad won the first title of the franchise with their former coach in the broadcasting booth.

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Jackson sort of slammed the media attention at that time that was calling ESPN vile for having him call Warriors games. To the former coach, calling the NBA Finals itself was the peak. “This is the A-game. I’m part of the A-team as far as the announcing crew. This is the games that we’re going to call. As long as they continue to win they’re going to see more and more of me.” However, even Jackson’s tenure calling games would be cut short abruptly.

Mark Jackson keeps going forward

The former Warriors coach was among the ESPN personalities who got the pink slip amidst the mass layoffs of 2023. Van Gundy had left ESPN and it was predicted that Jackson would be let go too.

He confirmed it in a statement admitting he was “shocked and dismayed with the suddenness of it all,” but he was grateful to his colleagues. He was also let go of his job at MSG Networks calling Knicks games on a bitter note the same year. After somewhat media silence on his end, Jackson is making a return to media in his own way.

He launched The Mark Jackson Show in collaboration with his son, Mark Jr. aka Bluu on Cam’ron and Mase’s YouTube channel. From the looks of it, Jackson doesn’t harbor any ill-feelings from his former careers. He’s simply doing his job.

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