Speaking at a venture capitalist luncheon last week, Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob gave his reasons for firing head coach Mark Jackson after a second consecutive Playoff berth last season.
Lacob essentially painted Jackson as an ego-maniacal jerk, who couldn’t get along with others in the organization (Warriors players exempted.)
The owner put out an apology through the media, and Jackson addressed the comments while conduction church business Sunday.
Per the Mercury News:
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Mark Jackson and what he accomplished as our head coach,” Lacob wrote in an e-mail. “He did a terrific job. I’ve said that many times over the last several months and in recent days, including at this week’s event. […] I was asked to draw comparisons earlier this week between building businesses in the tech world and the sports world and, unfortunately, I used some poor judgment. That’s my mistake. I did attempt to reach out to Mark on Friday, and I certainly apologize for my comments and any unintended harm. I know that Mark will succeed again in this business.”
Former Warriors coach Mark Jackson referenced Joe Lacob in his sermon at his church Sunday, saying the co-owner “put me on blast.”
Smiling as he spoke to members of a cheering congregation, Jackson said in recorded comments that Lacob “said I was good for nothing, an owner that knew me for three years and spent a couple of minutes around me, an owner that had the audacity to say that 200 folks don’t like me in the business.”
