Brian Scalabrine took responsibility for his fallout as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors under Mark Jackson and recommended him for the New York Knicks' vacancy.
"It was totally my fault," said Scalabrine.
Scalabrine was demoted to coaching the D-League for what Jackson later labeled as “disrespect.”
“It was like no locker room I’ve ever been a part of, just his technique for motivating guys to run through a wall for him,” Scalabrine told the Daily News. “And if I had a young team I would definitely think about hiring a guy like Mark because there’s a certain amount of development that has to happen in the NBA. And guys need to take strides. And confidence is a big part of it. And he knows how to bring out that confidence.”
Scalabrine understands now he should have been more supportive of Jackson.
“I grew as a coach during my time with him and looking back it was totally my fault. I didn’t understand – at the time it was difficult to understand the pressures of being a head coach in this league. I could have done a better job of supporting him,” Scalabrine told The News, adding later, “I could have done a much better job of handling my situation. No question about it. I was young — the youngest bench coach and assistant in the NBA. I didn’t understand the pressures of being a head coach. There’s a lot of things I could’ve done better. And also I could’ve handled it better when I eventually got out. For me, it was a good opportunity. It was a really good growing experience for me. Mark made me a better coach.”
