Jackson: ‘I never should have left’

I think a majority of people were ecstatic when the San Antonio Spurs brought back Stephen Jackson in exchange for Richard Jefferson. The well-traveled veteran has earned a bit of a bad reputation since he left the team back in 2003, but it’s a popular consensus that he just couldn’t find the right fit.

One thing is for sure, Jackson definitely feels San Antonio is right for him. During an interview with ESPN, he talks about how much he wanted to come back.

“I never should have left. I used to hit Tim [Duncan] every summer and I would always tell him, ‘Man, get me back there, get me back there.’ I’m just glad it happened at this point. To be back with the team that really opened up my career for me, it feels good. It feels great. In any job you have, it always feels good to feel wanted.”

He goes on to say he was almost in tears when he got the call from Coach Pop that he was coming back to San Antonio.

Now that he’s been gone for almost a decade, you’d think things would have changed around here. Jackson says that’s not really the case.

“I think everybody’s the same. Tim’s the same, Manu’s the same, Tony’s the same. Everybody’s the same. The organization is still one of the best in the league. Family-oriented organization. The only thing that’s changed is time.”

It’s always a good situation when you can match a player with a team they want to play for. It’s pretty obvious that someone who’s content with their surroundings is going to put in more effort than someone who’s not. So far, we’ve seen some very solid minutes from Jackson. Let’s hope he keeps it up and he might get that championship he’s been missing since he left.