Jerry Stackhouse opens up about the experience of playing with Michael Jordan and about his regrets.
Jerry Stackhouse had a long and fruitful 18-year NBA career, highlighted by two All-Star Game appearances. However, the current Vanderbilt Commodores coach believes his professional path could have taken a different turn had he not played with the great Michael Jordan for two seasons on the Washington Wizards.
Stalled progress
In 2002, the Wizards traded for Stackhouse in a blockbuster deal that involved Rip Hamilton. According to Stackhouse, the move slowed down his development as a basketball player, especially after being an All-Star twice with the Detroit Pistons. The main reason for this—Stackhouse claimed—was the presence of Jordan on the team. His Airness had come out of retirement for the second time to suit up for the Wizards.
“Honestly, I wish I never played in Washington, and for a number of reasons. I felt we were on our way in Detroit before I got traded there. It was challenging to be able to be in a situation with an idol who, at this particular point, I felt like I was a better player,” said Stackhouse.
In his first season with the Wizards, Stackhouse posted solid numbers of 21.5 points and 4.5 assists in 39 minutes of playing time. However, the former Tar Heel was largely an afterthought, with Jordan casting a massive shadow over every single aspect of the franchise.
“Things were still being run through Michael Jordan,” Stackhouse added, referring to the number of plays that were being called for MJ.
All Jordan, all the time
The Wizards’ coach, at the time, was none other than Doug Collins, Jordan’s former coach from the Chicago Bulls. Collins was hired to revive the team, but instead, it was all about Jordan and his influence on the franchise during his two-year stint with Washington.
“Pretty much everything that Michael wanted to do, we did. We got off to a pretty good start, and he didn’t like the way the offense was running because it was running a little bit more through me. He wanted to get a little more isolations for him on the post, of course, so we had more isolations for him on the post. And it just kind of spiraled in a way that I didn’t enjoy that season at all,” said Stackhouse.
Source: si.com
