Skip to content

Stephen Jackson: Tony Parker was the reason Spurs lost to OKC in 2012

Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

Stephen Jackson has never been one to censor himself, and he let loose on a number of notables on a recent episode of The Truehoop Podcast.

The 14-year veteran waxed poetic about everything from Stephon Marbury buying him shoes as a rookie, to an ungrateful 2 Chainz sleeping on his couch in Atlanta, and how Tim Duncan once lied to Gregg Popovich to cover up a paintball outing.

The biggest revelation from Jackson, however, was that Tony Parker would go behind the team's back when they both played for the San Antonio Spurs, and that cost them during the 2012 playoffs.

As transcribed by News 4 San Antonio:

You know what? I have. To be honest with you I really think Tony Parker was one of those guys. I just feel like the whole time when I was there, when I had good games, when I was playing well, I felt like Tony was the guy to really go against me, to go behind my back to Pop to play (Manu) Ginobili, to play other guys because he wanted the credit.

I'm going to give you a perfect example. We was up 2-0 against the Thunder, my last year with the Spurs in (2012). They came back and won three games straight. But game six in OKC, I was having a hell of a game. I had six threes. Me and Kawhi (Leonard) was playing well.

At the end of the game, when my six threes and other guys shots got us back in the game, Tony came in the game and tried to save the day and stopped playing team ball. We ended up losing that series. I kind of felt like that while he was on the sidelines, he was over there saying sneaky stuff to players and the coaches about getting back in the game so he can try to get his own personal achievements in the game and that's why we lost.

Pop wouldn't say that. But I remember right after the game, me, Kawhi and Tim (Duncan) was sitting down after we lost, he came over there and said "I should have rode you guys, You all did everything you could." That's his way of saying I should not have put Tony in the game.

Jackson, as he mentioned, had a tremendous game off the bench as he poured in 23 points on 6-of-7 shooting from deep. But so too did Parker, who had a game-best 29 points to go with 11 assists.

In a see-saw fourth quarter, Parker and Jackson both checked back into the game around the six-minute mark. Parker took six shots down the stretch while Jackson had just one. The Thunder would eventually win the series-clinching game by eight.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox