In the aftermath of their 2013-14 season, the Golden State Warriors parted ways with Mark Jackson .
Jackson only remained in the Bay Area for three seasons, which turned surprising for many after all of the progress that the Dubs have enjoyed under his leadership. Upon inheriting the franchise's coaching keys in 2011, Mark assumed the responsibility of lifting the Warriors out of rebuild. And just after their first season, Golden State instantly seized a meteoric rise, becoming a perennial contender and one of the league's most compelling teams.
Although he could only swallow the hard pill of his exit from the Warriors, it prompted Jackson to deliver a bold statement arguing the franchise might regret their surprising decision to dismiss him.
Pressure is on to win
Despite the highly documented inside drama and dysfunction he caused in the organization, Jackson hammered his belief that he was solely responsible for the Warriors' promising success and long-term structure.
As such, he earned his right to this matter. He ushered the Dubs from rebuilding to contention in just a short window. They made it to back-to-back postseasons, which saw a groundbreaking Conference Semifinals appearance. Not to mention, he nurtured the emergence of Stephen Curry and put all his faith in Klay Thompson, which caused the birth of the ‘Splash Brothers.’
Jackson felt that the team had developed and already had all it needed to compete at the highest level behind his leadership, and the sudden dismissal made by the Golden State leadership was completely inappropriate, considering that he and the Warriors were already brewing something special. For that, he argued that the ball is now in the hands of the franchise to make moves that'll guarantee better benefits compared to what he brought to the table.
“We accomplished a lot in three years, and we should be proud. I wish them nothing but the best. But to me, now the pressure’s on for them to get a championship,” he said . “It’s not the time for them to be patient anymore. This is a championship-caliber team.”
Related: "We might be talking about the greatest player who ever played" - Larry Brown said he could've made Allen Iverson the GOAT
The Dubs still won without Jackson
In the end, the Warriors shrugged off the ‘pressure’ and got the last laugh following Jackson's firing as they achieved greater heights in their next chapter without his presence on the sidelines.
General manager Bob Myers immediately sought the market and identified Steve Kerr as the head coaching replacement for Jackson – the rest was just history. The hiring of Kerr became a franchise-altering decision as he completely unlocked the Dubs’ potential to the next level. Curry became an all-time great, Klay and Draymond Green ascended into All-Stars, and Golden State evolved as a legendary basketball dynasty.
Jackson might have laid the foundation, but it was Kerr who perfectly executed the job—winning not one but four championships with the franchise.
Related: "The greatest shooting backcourt in the history of the game" - Mark Jackson in 2013 on the duo of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson
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