NBA Rumors: Stephen Jackson Finally Buys in to Milwaukee Bucks' Team Philosophy

Just when you think you really know a guy, Stephen Jackson proves that he can be the mature one after all. 

For the past few days, Milwaukee Bucks fans had to have been bracing themselves for a full-blown contract fiasco. There were rumors that Stephen Jackson was unhappy about the Bucks not contacting him with a new deal and extending for more money. 

Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times reported Stephen Jackson was perturbed by the situation in Milwaukee, and that it was going to be a problem. 

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[T]here are growing whispers that the 33-year-old Jackson isn't content with his current contract.

Jackson is the second-highest paid player on the Bucks this season at $9.26 million. Andrew Bogut is the highest paid Buck at $12.1M. Jackson is also guaranteed $10 million for next season.

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Just a couple days before the season tips off, Jackson is doing and saying the right things for once. The rumor is that he may not be happy, but he is going to show that he is fully committed to the team and to winning. 

Now that is the way you ensure one more big pay day when your contract is over. Jackson spoke with The Journal Times, and this is what he had to say. 

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I'm going to go ahead and let it die down. Right now, I know it's not the time to talk about contracts or anything like that. It's about focusing on getting to the playoffs.

I don't want it to be a distraction to the team. We have a great team. We have a chance to do something great.

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With that, Jackson leaves the land of the malcontents and enters the fray as an enigmatic star who is now trying to assert himself as a leader. 

If he continues to forget all about a contract extension and works to have the best season he can, the rest will work itself out. 

The Bucks truly needed this to grow as an organization. The last thing they needed was an aging vet who was digging his heels in. Now the Bucks can move on—just in time to start the season. 

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