“This lineup I’m about to mention is the best lineup in the league this year,” Jackson asserted while speaking on the All The Smoke podcast regarding the Golden State Warriors‘ potential to secure the title this season. “Steph at the one, Jimmy at the two, Kuminga at the three, Draymond at the four, Horford at the five.”

The players Spurs‘ former player has highlighted for the upcoming regular season boast impressive credentials. Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler are widely regarded as two of the most skilled players in the league. On the defensive end, Al Horford, paired with Draymond Green, presents a formidable duo. The lingering question, however, concerns Jonathan Kuminga’s role in the starting lineup.

It is important to note that Kuminga’s initial exclusion from a Warriors deal stemmed from his limited participation last season. His return doesn’t guarantee him a start, as the team also weighs options like Brad Podziemski and Moses Moody.

The starting lineup Kerr utilized with the Warriors in the preseason

In anticipation of potentially witnessing the Warriors execute the starting lineup proposed by Jackson, there’s significant interest considering his assertion that the team has a legitimate chance to clinch the NBA title this season.

Despite the excitement surrounding Jackson’s proposed lineup, head coach Steve Kerr has employed a different strategy during the preseason, positioning Stephen Curry at the forefront.

The lineup that Kerr has experimented with includes Stephen Curry, Moose Moody or Brad Podziemski, Jimmy Butler, Al Horford, and Draymond Green. This combination of players fuels optimism among the fan base, who remain hopeful about the team’s prospects of securing the NBA championship this season.

“I love it, man,” Jackson said during an appearance on All The Smoke Unplugged, expressing his excitement about Fox’s arrival in San Antonio. “This is a better version of Tony Parker,” he added, making a bold statement about one of the most iconic players in Spurs history.

Expanding on his reasoning, Stephen delved into the unique traits of Fox‘s game. “But he’s just left-handed,” he pointed out, acknowledging the differences between Fox and the former French guard. “He might be faster than Tony Parker. He’s a better scorer, and he’s a better athlete,” Jackson explained, highlighting Fox’s physical attributes and skill set.

With his extensive experience, Stephen Jackson is well-positioned to make such a comparison. He played alongside Tony Parker during two separate stints in his career—first between 2001 and 2003, when both were young contributors to the Spurs’ 2003 NBA championship run, and later during a brief reunion in the 2012-13 season.

Fox as a key complement to Wembanyama

Stephen Jackson was also optimistic about the impact De’Aaron Fox could have on the Spurs, not only as an individual contributor but as a complement to the team’s existing talent. “To pair him up with Wemby (Victor Wembanyama), along with (Stephon) Castle,” Jackson highlighted, referencing the potential for an exciting young core.

Jackson took his vision even further, suggesting another possible future move: “And have the possibility to get another star, like Jimmy Butler.” He concluded by stating, “I think that was the best move made besides the other moves in Dallas.”

Fox’s expectations in San Antonio

On Wednesday, ahead of the San Antonio Spurs’ game against the Atlanta Hawks, the franchise shared a press conference featuring De’Aaron Fox on their official YouTube channel, marking his first comments after joining the team.

The 27-year-old guard expressed a sense of optimism about the next chapter of his career. “I think, with the way that they are built, the athleticism, and also the youth, I just feel that this could be a special team,” Fox said, alluding to the potential for success in San Antonio.

He also spoke about the opportunity to play alongside Victor Wembanyama: “It’s a very unique opportunity. Not many guys come around like that,” Fox noted, acknowledging the rare talent that Wemby represents.

But unlike other teams who also found success, the Heat’s championships were built on a culture of hard work and accountability from all their players. That culture also explains their two Conference titles in the last four years.

However, not everyone can endure the demanding workouts the organization puts their players through. In a recent edition of Showtime‘s “Certified Smoke,” Stephen Jackson revealed he didn’t want to play for Miami because of the tough minicamp workouts.

Stephen Jackson on why he didn’t want to play for Miami Heat

“I went to a mini – not even training camp,” Jackson said, via Heat Nation. “They got the minicamp in the summer before training camp. I went to that. First – after stretch – 10 minutes on the clock, 10 minutes of three-man weave. I said, ‘I don’t want to play here.’”

The Heat are known for having one of, if not the toughest conditioning tests in the entire league. That’s part of the trademark Heat Culture that demands the best from every player. It led to multiple championships and deep postseason runs, so they can’t see why they should change that.

Jackson preferred not to go through this, though. He started his career with the New Jersey Nets before leaving for the San Antonio Spurs, with whom he won the 2003 NBA championship. Jackson also played for the Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Golden State Warriors, Charlotte Bobcats, Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers.

Morant is young and has plenty of growing up to do. Fortunately, he also has the chance, the time, and the community support to learn from this mistake and get better. Not everyone can say the same.

As a matter of fact, Morant isn’t even the first NBA player to be suspended because of doing dumb or reckless things with a firearm. And here, we’re going to let you know about the ones that went through this before him.

NBA Players Who Were Suspended Because Of Guns

Gilbert Arenas & Javaris Crittenton

Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton starred in one of the most bizarre incidents in NBA history. They got into a verbal altercation over a card game and some alleged gambling debts, so they took things to the next level.

Both carried guns to the Washington Wizards locker room and waved them at each other. Crittenton was suspended 38 games, then waived, and he never played in the NBA again. Arenas, on the other hand, was suspended 50 games and later traded.

Stephen Jackson

Back in the day, Stephen Jackson was known for being a bit of a troublemaker. His bad boy reputation preceded him, as he never hesitated to get physical when anyone dared get on his teammate’s faces.

Jackson was suspended multiple times throughout his career, also starring in the infamous ‘Malice in the Palace’ brawl. He was also suspended seven games after pleading guilty to a felony charge of criminal reckless for firing a gun outside of a strip club.

Ja Morant

Ja Morant has the chance to write his name on better lists than this one, but here we are. People warned him and urged him to stop looking for street credit, yet he thinks he’s a Hip-Hopartist from the 90s for whatever reason.

Morant was suspended just two games, but he’ll be away from the team until the league and the Colorado police conduct an investigation intothis incident. This was avoidable, irresponsible, and flat-out dumb, so let’s just hope he learns from this.