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Stephen Jackson Says He's Better Than Ray Allen, Manu Ginobili, Vince Carter
December 14, 2018
Former NBA player Stephen Jackson enjoyed a successful 14-year career in which he averaged 15.1 points per game and won the 2003 NBA Finals with the San Antonio Spurs.
He also started for the 2006-07 Golden State Warriors, who famously upset the No. 1 seed Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the NBA playoffs thanks in part to Jackson's 22.8 points per game during the series.
Naturally, the former NBA swingman thinks very highly of his legacy...but perhaps too much so.
In a conversation with Colin Cowherd of Fox Sports, Jackson said his career was "definitely" better than Ray Allen's and Manu Ginobili's. Jackson also said he was a better player than Vince Carter, but that the ageless and somehow active wonder has a better legacy.
Allen is a 10-time All-Star who made 40 percent of his three-pointers over an 18-year career. Ginobili is a four-time NBA champion who was a key rotation member for the San Antonio Spurs into his 40s. Carter is in his 21st NBA season and made eight straight All-Star Games. If we're stacking up resumes here, Jackson falls short in that regard.
In fairness to Jackson, he didn't say he had a better career than everyone Cowherd asked him about, noting that Detroit Pistons forward Blake Griffin is a "different kind of animal."
Ultimately, Jackson may not be in the same class as those three, but he was a great player at times and can be proud of many accomplishments during his professional tenure.
Jackson is among an elite group of people who can say they played a decade-plus in the league (for eight teams) and averaged 15 points per game, and he can call himself an NBA champion for life.