West Coast Connection Forum
Lifestyle => Sports & Entertainment => Topic started by: Now_Im_Not_Banned on October 09, 2006, 12:24:37 PM
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Pacers silent on Stephen Jackson's status (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2006-10-08-notes_x.htm?csp=34)
Updated 10/8/2006 11:39 PM ET
By Roscoe Nance, USA TODAY
Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle on Sunday was mum about whether swingman Stephen Jackson will be punished for his role in a shooting incident outside an Indianapolis strip club early Friday morning.
But Carlisle did say that he was disappointed that Jackson and teammates Jamaal Tinsley, Marquis Daniels and Jimmie "Snap" Hunter put themselves in position for the incident to occur.
"Our guys made an error in judgment," Carlisle said, adding that any punishment is an internal matter and will be kept in house. "They were in the wrong place at the wrong time."
The incident began with a verbal exchange inside Club Rio and carried over into the parking lot, according to the police report. Jackson fired five shots from a 9 mm handgun after a man punched him in the face and tried to run him over with a car outside the club at 3 a.m. Marion County (Ind.) prosecutors are evaluating the case and will decide if Jackson will face charges. Jackson has said he fired the shots to protect himself.
A small amount marijuana, enough for one or two cigarettes, was found on the passenger side of Tinsley's car, police said. No one was arrested because police couldn't link the drug to any specific person.
The incident comes as the Pacers are trying to overcome the black eye they suffered from the brawl with Detroit Pistons fans almost two years ago. Jackson was suspended for 30 games for his role in the incident.
"We're disappointed on the one hand," said Carlisle, who last week was given a bigger role by the Pacers in handling disciplinary matters. "But on the other hand we're fortunate he's OK. A life-threatening situation was averted.
"We talk to the guys all the time about who they are, where they go, the hours they keep and how important it is to have discretion. Earning and maintaining professionalism is a day-to-day task."
Jackson suffered bruises and went to the hospital, where he had stitches to close cuts on his mouth. He hasn't participated in practice since the incident and didn't take part in the Pacers' Fan Jam on Sunday. Carlisle said he spoke to Jackson late Saturday and that he was feeling better. However, there is no timetable for his return.
"We have to continue to focus on basketball and prepare for a difficult season," Carlisle said.
Interesting...Looks like Stephen Jackson is one of those players who can't stay away from "thuggin"...And LOL@the pigs not linking the weed to anyone when it was found in Tinsley's car... :-X
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I hope we cut him. The fans here in Indiana want his blood right now lol.
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I hope we cut him. The fans here in Indiana want his blood right now lol.
That would be incredibly stupid to cut Jackson if you are the Indiana Pacers. He is fearless, loves the pressure of taking big shots, and has scored 17 points a game on average the last 2 years while being extremely durable. His attitude sucks alot of the time but to cut him and get nothing in return is horrible.
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No one wants to be the next trail blazers. Cut him, deal with a potential bad season, get a decent draft and move on. We stuck it out with Ron Artest after his actions in Detroit, and look where that got us. What the rest of the NBA fans outside of Indiana do not realize is the multi million dollar campain that has circulated through the state that keeps talking about how the team has got thier act together. How they can become the role models they need to be ect..... then the mother fucker goes out to a strip club at 3:00 am on a night before training camp.... in a neighborhood that warrented 3 of them to be strapped!!! And then gets into this shit. Then throw in pot, and this is just a fucking PR nightmare. His fearlessness ect isn't worth the black eye he will continue to give the franchise. We don't want to scare away players from coming to this team just like Portland has done for the last almost decade now. Sometimes a stat line does not matter in the overall scheme of things. I'm not saying anyone is wrong, just letting you know my opinion as a die hard pacers fan who has been that way, and lived in Indy for over 18 years. This is a bad bad situation. We've already had almost half of our season ticket holders opt out of next years tickets. Gonna be a rough year as a pacers fan if we keep Jax around. Love the dudes game, hate what he's doing to this team. >:(
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This team is gangsta ;D
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oh well it's the new pacer era, this isn't your dad's rick smits pacers anymore
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No one wants to be the next trail blazers. Cut him, deal with a potential bad season, get a decent draft and move on. We stuck it out with Ron Artest after his actions in Detroit, and look where that got us. What the rest of the NBA fans outside of Indiana do not realize is the multi million dollar campain that has circulated through the state that keeps talking about how the team has got thier act together. How they can become the role models they need to be ect..... then the mother fucker goes out to a strip club at 3:00 am on a night before training camp.... in a neighborhood that warrented 3 of them to be strapped!!! And then gets into this shit. Then throw in pot, and this is just a fucking PR nightmare. His fearlessness ect isn't worth the black eye he will continue to give the franchise. We don't want to scare away players from coming to this team just like Portland has done for the last almost decade now. Sometimes a stat line does not matter in the overall scheme of things. I'm not saying anyone is wrong, just letting you know my opinion as a die hard pacers fan who has been that way, and lived in Indy for over 18 years. This is a bad bad situation. We've already had almost half of our season ticket holders opt out of next years tickets. Gonna be a rough year as a pacers fan if we keep Jax around. Love the dudes game, hate what he's doing to this team. >:(
I agree, but cutting him wouldn't be too bright...At least trade him, because his contract isn't even that big and he's an all-star caliber player. An organization like the Indiana Pacers should never settle for missing the playoffs, and though it's better than having the reputation of the Trailblazers, cutting a key player like Stephen Jackson REALLY won't do much for your franchise...PeACe
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Jackson Apologizes For Incident (http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/digest_061010.html)
By Conrad Brunner | Oct. 10, 2006
Stephen Jackson returned to practice Tuesday and issued a heartfelt apology for his role in last week's nightclub incident.
Jackson was one of four players, along with Jamaal Tinsley, Marquis Daniels and Jimmie "Snap" Hunter, who were involved in an altercation in a nightclub parking lot early Friday morning. Jackson, who was punched in the mouth and struck by a car, required several stitches in his upper lip but otherwise escaped serious injury. He is not expected to play in Wednesday's preseason opener against New Jersey in Conseco Fieldhouse but could return Saturday against Utah.
"First of all, I want to start off by saying I'm sorry for this incident," Jackson said. "I want to apologize to my teammates, to the fans and this organization. It was definitely an unfortunate incident. I know for me, I worked hard this summer to get myself physically and mentally ready for this season and to come out to help this team be the best it could be this year and it was an unfortunate incident. Obviously, I'm definitely blessed to be here today. I didn't really think I'd be waking up the next morning after I got hit by a far being able to walk but I'm definitely blessed to be here and I understand, I take responsibility for my actions and everything I've done. And for that, I'm sorry and I do apologize for it.
"Hopefully, I can just move on from this and continue to be the player that this team wants me to be and this organization wants me to be and kind of put this behind me. Like I said, I hate that it happened. I am sorry for it. I haven't been in any trouble in my career before the Detroit incident to now. I haven't had a criminal record or anything. I'm just happy to be back on the court, happy that I'm alive and able to be with my teammates and my family, and hopefully I can get this behind me, move on and try to get ready for the season."
Shortly after Jackson made his statement, President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird addressed the media for the first time since the incident.
"What we have to do is wait for the police to get done with their investigation and we'll go from there," Bird said. "As an organization we haven't had a lot of comments about what happened because we don't know what happened. We don't know the full story. Are we disappointed? We're very disappointed, and it hurts. If you care about this franchise and you're a part of it, it's got to hurt."
Jackson, who missed four days of practice, participated in more of the practice session than expected, going through light and medium contact work. He did not participate in full-contact sessions.
"He's just happy to be back around," said Al Harrington. "(The players were) just happy to have him back around because he's part of our family."
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Reggie Miller Criticizes The Pacers. (http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/digest_061010.html)
By Conrad Brunner | Oct. 10, 2006
The man who drafted Reggie Miller and nearly two decades later retired his No. 31 jersey was stung by the former Pacers player's criticism of the team and franchise in the aftermath of the nightclub incident.
"It hurts me," Walsh said.
A guest on Dan Patrick's ESPN radio show Monday, Miller called the incident "a punch in the gut for Donnie Walsh and Larry Bird" and went on to criticize the players for rallying around Jackson, who he said was "slapping you guys in the face" with his actions.
Bird said he hadn't heard Miller's interview, saying only, "I don't comment on Reggie's comments."
Though Rick Carlisle also was a target as Miller suggested his practices weren't tough enough if players had enough energy to frequent nightclubs during training camp, the coach chose not to debate his former standout.
"I have unbelievable respect for Reggie Miller both as a player and a person and I consider him a friend," Carlisle said. "He's obviously earned the right to have an opinion but what I can tell you is, from a basketball standpoint, we're doing everything possible to develop this team to be the best it can be and I'll leave it at that."
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^^ I agree that cutting him really is not feasable. We'd have to eat 7 mil a year for another 4 or 5 years if that were the decision. I just don't see us being able to get anything in return for jax at this point. Still pretty upset about the whole situation. Hopefully the team can generate some wins early so we don't take to big a hit from our fan base. If the season starts and the Pacers drop several, that would be bad news for the team, because the fans already seem hostile towards this squad. Hopefully JO can stay healthy this year, and maybe Tinsley finally gets it together. His "illness/injury" issues over the last 3 years has been absolutly maddening. Fucker has missed nearly 100 games in his career due to "flu like symptoms" and "allergies". Very trying as a fan to deal with his ass sitting on the bench soaking up 6 mil plus a year and missing due to those problems while players like Jordan were playing on the court half dead some of the time. Reggie Miller weighed 25 pounds and looked like a freaking aids patient, but he got balls deep into every game regardless of if he had some pain or was sick. We were truely spoiled with the teams we had in the 90s. If MJ never existed, we would have easily had 3 or 4 titles. This team is so far from that its sad. And now they've been together for 5 years plus, and still can't gel.
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LMAO..I just saw Stephen Jackson on ESPN News and his Lips are swollen like muthafucka :D
Check out the Video clip..
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2620372
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Jackson Being Charged in Club Incident (http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=2554333)
By CLIFF BRUNT
INDIANAPOLIS Oct 11, 2006 (AP)— Indiana Pacers guard Stephen Jackson was charged Wednesday with a felony count of criminal recklessness and two misdemeanor counts from last week's confrontation outside a strip club.
The charges were announced by Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi five days after the fight involving Jackson and three Pacers teammates against others at the club. Jackson was punched in the mouth and hit by a car and police say he fired a gun in the air at least five times.
Jackson apologized for the fight on Tuesday, saying he was "happy to be alive." His comments came hours after police arrested another man on several charges in connection with the fight.
The other charges against Jackson are disorderly conduct and battery, Brizzi said.
A message seeking comment about the charges was left for a Pacers spokesman.
Indianapolis police on Tuesday arrested Deon Willford, 23, on felony counts of criminal recklessness and leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, and a misdemeanor count of driving without a license for the fight.
Willford drove a car that hit Jackson, sending him tumbling over the hood, police Sgt. Matthew Mount said. Police said Jackson fired a gun in the air in apparent self-defense during the fight about 3 a.m. Friday.
Jackson returned to the Pacers' training camp on Tuesday stitches in his lip and other scrapes and bruises.
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LMAO...
Bag in Pacer's vehicle will be tested for DNA-
Police hope to determine pot's owner (http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061011/SPORTS04/610110494/1088/SPORTS04)
By Vic Ryckaert
vic.ryckaert@indystar.com
A plastic bag containing marijuana found in the car of an Indiana Pacers point guard will be tested for DNA, officials said Tuesday.
Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi's office ordered the test in hopes of determining who the bag belonged to. The bag, which
contained a small amount of marijuana, was tested for fingerprints, but none could be recovered.
The bag was found in Pacers player Jamaal Tinsley's car after a disturbance at a strip club early Friday. The disturbance involved Tinsley, three other Pacers and at least three other men at the club, but Tinsley has said the bag did not belong to him.
On Tuesday, one man was charged in the fight, a second was questioned but not arrested, and a third man was still being sought. Officials have said the Pacers involved in the incident were victims, and none were charged.
Tinsley and Pacers Stephen Jackson, Marquis Daniels and Jimmie "Snap" Hunter were leaving Club Rio, 5054 W. 38th St., when police say Jackson fired five shots from a 9 mm handgun after a man punched him in the face and tried to run him over with an Oldsmobile.
Jackson told officers he fired all five shots into the air, an account police are still checking out. Officers seized his handgun and guns found in the cars of Tinsley and Daniels. Police said all have valid permits.
A tip to CrimeStoppers led Indianapolis police to the man they say drove the car that struck Jackson.
Deon "Dino" Willford, 23, Indianapolis, was arrested about 1 a.m. Tuesday on initial charges of criminal recklessness, leaving the scene of an accident and driving without a license, police said. He was held in the Marion County Jail on $100,000 bond, records show.
Another person was questioned in connection with the incident, but he was not arrested. Police are still investigating a third man linked to the incident, Sgt. Matthew Mount said.
Willford has a police record.
Police have said Jackson appeared to be firing in self-defense. Marion County prosecutors will evaluate the evidence.
The DNA test will cost taxpayers $800, said Mike Medler, director Indianapolis-Marion County Forensic Services Agency.
Such tests are commonly requested when officers seize large quantities of drugs, but experts say it is very rare for authorities to look for DNA in a misdemeanor case.
Officials did not say why the DNA test was ordered in this case.
Officers found Willford and the other man at an apartment in the 7200 block of Kingsford Drive, Mount said. Both surrendered and cooperated with police.
Police are withholding Willford's picture until the Pacers and other witnesses have a chance to view a photo lineup, Mount said.
Jackson suffered bruises and had stitches to close cuts on his mouth. He was not seriously hurt but rested Tuesday during the team's afternoon practice.
Part of the incident was captured on Club Rio's security camera, Mount said. The grainy video shows Jackson firing one shot in the air, then getting struck by the car, Mount said. The other events occurred outside the camera's view.
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lol indiana is straight gangsta haha 8)
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Walsh, Bird Address Jackson’s Status (http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/walsh_bird_jackson_061011.html?rss=true)
Oct. 11, 2006-
Pacers guard Stephen Jackson was charged with felony criminal recklessness and misdemeanor counts of battery and disorderly conduct by the Marion County prosecutor for his role in an incident outside an Indianapolis nightclub last week. None of the other players involved in the incident (Jamaal Tinsley, Marquis Daniels and Jimmie "Snap" Hunter, were charged. In response to the filing of the charges, Pacers CEO and President Donnie Walsh and President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird conducted a question-and-answer session with the media.
DONNIE WALSH
Q. How disappointed are you by this incident?
A. I'm very disappointed. I think we all spent a lot of time during the summer understanding that we came through two years where we had problems, the Detroit brawl and then the way our team performed last year. We went out and tried to change the team in a very dramatic way, the best way that we could and I think we felt really optimistic that we had a lot of good guys coming in here and the combination of those players and the players we had would change the atmosphere in the locker room. I think, going through the first week of practice before this incident, both Larry and I were overjoyed because it looked like we had that. This came as a jolt to us that this incident occurred. We know our players were wrong for being out late at night in a nightclub. Past that, we really didn't know what took place after that. We've been kind of trying to hear and read exactly what took place. I can't say we're caught by surprise that charges were brought because there was enough in what I heard that they could've been. That's kind of where we are right now.
Q. What is Jackson's status with the team?
A. In situations like this where there have been charges brought, as our statement said there's a presumption of innocence and the normal course in the NBA has been to let the player play until it's resolved. And then, if there's any punishment or action that's going to be taken, it will be taken after that time.
Q. Did the players lie to you in recounting their original stories of what happened?
A.I don't know what happened at the club and I didn't really talk to the players about what happened at the club. I was piecing it together from newspaper articles and a little bit from lawyers and people like that. So I really didn't know what the story was but no they never lied to me.
Q. How damaging is this to the fan base?
A.I think it's hurt quite a lot because I think during the summer we got out and tried to change the team and we communicated that and I was very optimistic they were going to like this team a lot and I still am in that regard. But I think this incident has kind of tarnished everything and so we're going to have to overcome that. The only way to overcome that is by our behavior as a team and also by our play on the court. That's the only thing left for us to do. That's what we have to do.
Q. Have you said anything to the players about maintaining their focus on basketball?
A. I think they've been doing that and at least in my case I've been trying to follow what's been going on with this so much that I haven't been as attentive to that. I've gone to practice and I really like what I see. The team is playing very hard. The day after this occurred we had a practice and I was wondering if there would be a downturn and there wasn't. They went out and played really hard, were focused on what they were doing so I was really pleased with how they were reacting because I wasn't reacting like that at that point. We'll continue to do that. I do like the attitude this team has shown. I think Jermaine O'Neal has provided a lot of leadership in the way he's come into the season and the way he's conducted himself during this, the work that he's put in and the fact he's working harder than anyone. That is always a great sign for your team because if he's doing it, the other players will do it.
Q. Can you win back the fans with Jackson on the roster?
A.I hope so because I think we're in a position now that American fair play dictates that we go forward like this. There has been precedent in the league, which I'm not going to mention to embarrass other franchises, you all know. We're going to have to try to do that. It'll come back to what we thought before this incident, that Stephen was coming in focused, ready to play, he understood some of the things we talked about as far as people that felt negatively about and he was going to try to change those things. Those things will have to be done now.
Q. Given the strong reputation built by the franchise over the previous two decades, how disappointing is it to be in this position?
A. It's been heartbreaking to be honest with you because I always thought we had a good franchise and I was proud of that. And that's taken quite a hit in the last three years. And so, yeah, I feel very, very bad about that.
Q. When the court case is adjudicated, do you expect Jackson to be subject to punishment by the NBA?
A. I don't know that. When I talked to the league they told me what happens in the majority of cases. But there was no hard, fast, 'This is the way it's going to be dealt with.' We'll be in touch with the league to find out what their feelings are about this.
Q. Do you have the ability to require the players involved to take a drug test?
A. I don't know if we do. I'm not sure. These things are dealt with by the league and we don't even know they're taking place.
Q. How concerned are you that drugs were involved in the incident?
A.Again, I don't have the facts of the case but our understanding is none of our players had anything to do with any drugs that were found in this case. That's exactly what I've heard. Again, I'm hearing it third-party. I'm not hearing it directly from anybody.
Q. Before the season began, did you believe Jackson could turn the corner this year?
A. I felt confident that he could because we talked during the summer and I didn't get into anything like what's happened but I talked to him about some of the things I thought were negative and why he was being perceived in a negative way. He basically told me at a certain point that, 'Hey, I've sat down, looked at myself, I'm not going to let myself get emotional' – we're talking about during the games and all – 'and that I'm not going to be doing some of the things I did before.' It isn't like I bought it 100 percent but I thought, 'OK, let's see how this goes' and I felt better that he realizes there are issues here.
Q. Is there a point where, for lack of a better phrase, you "cut bait" with Stephen?
A. Once this legal process takes place, I don't think you cut bait if you're talking about termination of a contract or something like that. I don't think that'd be available to us. I'm not going to imply we would do that. Right now I'm focused on the fact there've been charges made, there's a presumption of innocence and we'll honor that and do pretty much what other teams have done in our situation.
Q. Have you been given any indication how long the legal process will last?
A. No, I really haven't. I'm not sure at all. I don't think it's going to happen in the next couple of weeks but I don't know what the time frame is.
Q. In the meantime, is Jackson a member of the team and can play as long as he's healthy?
A. Yes. In other words, he's on the team, he's presumed innocent until adjudged otherwise so, yes, he'll be practicing and playing.
Q. From what you know of the incident, were team rules violated and if not should stricter rules be put in place?
A. As far as team rules, yes, being out late in a nightclub at the hours they were in, that would've become an internal thing. If that's all that would've happened, we would've done something internally as far as fines or at the most a suspension. When you add this other stuff, no. We never anticipated anything like that. And that's more of a legal situation than what you would cover in team rules.
Q. So the team hasn't done anything in terms of punishing players, or is that still being decided?
A. As you know, we didn't really know what took place. We didn't know how this would be resolved. We were waiting to see what's going to happen here before we went in and said, 'OK, this is what you get.' I'm sure we'll do that.
Q. Does the conventional NBA contract have morals clause and what are options once this is adjudicated?
A. There are options then, yeah. It goes all the way from suspension to termination if there's a conviction, but not based on charges.
Q. If there is a conviction, would you have the option of terminating his contract?
A. Yeah, I think that's in the contract.
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LARRY BIRD
Q. What affect do you think this will have on the younger players?
A. Obviously we're in a position right now where we've got to regroup. I think the younger guys look up to some of the older guys. I know that's the way it was when I played. I don't think they understand it but after we talk about it and go forward, I think they'll understand there's places you don't want to be. You don't want to be out late at night because you are a target. And I think they'll learn from this.
Q. Does this hurt more, knowing you have stood behind Jackson?
A. When we bring these players in we're around them a lot and we really see the real person. It's an unfortunate incident but the one thing about Stephen is he's been working very hard. He came in in the right frame of mind. We made some changes here that made us a better team in our view and it's disappointing any time your players get into some trouble. But the one thing about is we'll let it run its course, we'll take a hard look at it and after that we'll make a decision on what we have to do. I know the question is going to come up, 'Will you trade Stephen Jackson?' We've said this before: we'll trade anybody if we know it's going to make us a better team.
Q. Having been through the distractions of the last two years, what impact do you think this will have on the team?
A. This is a big impact, there's no question about it. I'm sure our season ticket holders are very frustrated with us right now. But they've got to believe in us. They've got to believe we're going to do the right things, and we will do that. It's just going to take some time. We've just got to concentrate on getting this team better and putting a product out on the court they'll be proud of.
Q. Have you talked with Stephen since the charges were filed and what was his reaction?
A. We talked to him very briefly when his lawyer was present. He was very upset. He knows it's a major embarrassment for the franchise. He's taking it very hard. We hope we can all overcome this, which we will, and get Stephen back out on the court soon. But this is a big blow for Stephen. He didn't expect this.
Q. Has the team heard from the NBA about potential punishments?
A. We've been in contact with them. Commissioner Stern's over in Europe and we're staying in close contact but we haven't heard anything as of today.
Q. If Jackson is unable to play, how can he be replaced?
A. Marquis Daniels is fighting a little injury now and he's trying to get in shape but we brought him in here for a reason and that's to come in with the second unit and score points. And I think James White will be able to come in and do some things, and we've got Rawle Marshall. We've got players that can come in and score points. Obviously, Jack (scores) 18 a game so you'll need the other guys to make up for that. Jack's valuable to our team but we think we can get by without him for the short term.
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Probable-cause affidavit (http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061012/SPORTS04/610120431/1088)
Here are some excerpts from the six-page probable-cause affidavit in the Club Rio shooting based on police interviews. The affidavit was released Wednesday:
• The fight: "Eventually the yelling escalated into a fight. Mr. (Stephen) Jackson stated that a short, stocky (black male) punched him in the mouth. That subject was with the subject with the handicapped arm. Mr. Jackson stated that he had his handgun on his person at the time. . . . Mr. Jackson stated that he did pull out his handgun, but did nothing with it and then put it away."
• The fight: "Mr. (Scott) Collier (the DJ at Club Rio), stated that he heard five shots. He then went to the front door of the business and observed a handicapped (black male) being thrown to the ground and kicked."
• A second interview: In a second interview later on Oct. 6, "Mr. Jackson stated that he retrieved his handgun from his vehicle and then a fight started between some of Jamaal Tinsley's friends and the person with the short arm yelling 'dump.' "
• Story changes: In the second interview, Jackson "stated that he never got punched or hit. . . . However, Mr. Jackson admitted that he did kick the male with the handicapped arm as he was on the ground.
"Mr. Jackson stated that he then fired one, possibly two or three shots into the air to break up the fight. . . . He began to walk back towards where his vehicle was parked when he heard a speeding vehicle and then was struck."
• The other side: (Deon) Willford "stated that just before closing he went to his vehicle in the parking lot to let it warm up. He moved his vehicle from one parking place to another location near the entrance to Club Rio.
"(Willford) stated that his cousin Quentin (Willford) went to talk to a female in the parking lot. He then heard someone yell ''what are you doing talking to her. You can leave her alone.' . . . One male got out of a car and cocked his pistol. Quentin Willford became involved in an argument, which turned into a fight. Deon (Willford) observed Quentin on the ground being kicked and stomped."
Stephen Jackson timeline
• Nov. 19, 2004: Four months after joining the Pacers, Jackson punches a fan in the stands during a brawl that involves several players and fans near the end of a game between the Pacers and the Detroit Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Mich.
• Nov. 21, 2004: The NBA suspends Jackson for 30 games for his role in the brawl.
• Dec. 8, 2004: Oakland County, Mich., prosecutor charges Jackson with one misdemeanor count of assault and battery as a result of the brawl. Four other Pacers players are also charged.
• Feb. 2, 2005: Jackson verbally abuses an official over a foul called during a gameTeammates have to lead him off the court. The NBA suspends him for one game.
• Sept. 23, 2005: A Michigan judge sentences Jackson (along with Ron Artest and O'Neal) to one year of probation, 60 hours of community service and a $250 fine on misdemeanor assault and battery charges related to the November 2004 brawl. All had pleaded no contest to the charges.
• Dec. 23, 2005: In a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Jackson is ejected after arguing an official's call against Jamaal Tinsley. Three days later, the NBA fines Jackson $20,000 for making an obscene gesture after the ejection. He appeals the fine, saying he did not make the gesture.
• September 2006: Michael Ryan of Clarkston, Mich., files a lawsuit against Jackson (and Artest) alleging the two players assaulted him during the November 2004 brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
• Oct. 6, 2006: Jackson fires shots into the air in the parking lot at Club Rio, 5054 W. 38th St., at about 3 a.m. after police said he was assaulted by another club patron and hit by a car.
• Oct. 11, 2006: Jackson is charged with felony criminal recklessness, and battery and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors, after admitting he kicked a man during the fight.
-- Compiled by The Star Library
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Stephen Jackson Could Face Jail Time (http://slamonline.com/online/2006/10/stephen-jackson-and-the-police-report/)
by Lang Whitaker
Yesterday in Indianapolis, Stephen Jackson was charged for his part in the strip club/gunshot mess from earlier in the week. With these charges, the police also released the police report for the entire incident, which the Indy Star has posted on their website here. They also have the audio of the 911 call that started the whole thing, which is worth listening to if only to hear the woman who called the report in describe Stephen Jackson as being “at least six feet tall.” You think?
Anyway, I spent the last hour combing through the police report. Below is the Cliff’s Note version of the police report.
1) Page One really just sets the scene. It also reminded me that had Stephen Jackson not fired a gun into the air five times, the police probably wouldn’t have been called — they were only there to respond to a call that someone was shooting a gun into the air. So without the gunshots, there’s a good chance we never even would have heard about all of this. Which makes me wonder: How much other stuff goes on that we never even hear about?
2) Jimmie Hunter was rolling with Stephen Jackson that night. (Trying to get in good with the vets?) Jamaal Tinsley was in a black SUV with someone else that hasn’t been identified.
3) Stephen Jackson “immediately” told the cops he had fired the shots and that he had a handgun with a valid Indiana license.
4) Jamaal Tinsley told the police that he had a gun in his car. He gave an officer the keys to his car and told the police that they could retrieve the gun. And wouldn’t you know it? While getting out the gun, and officer found a bag of “suspected” marijuana in the door’s pocket.
6) They also mention stopping Marquis Daniels in a white Bentley, but that’s the only time he’s mentioned.
7) One of the detectives talked to a guy who works in the club. This guy says there wasn’t any altercation inside the club, but there was a fight in the back parking lot. This dutiful employee tried to break it up but it “escalated.” He ends his appearance in the police report by saying he heard an engine, a thump and then observed a tall black male on the ground. “He then heard gunshots.”
8) Ah, Stephen Jackson himself. They read him his rights, he waived them. He agreed that nothing happened inside the club, but allows that the person who ran him over with the car might have “felt disrespected” because the Pacers crew ignored the driver while they were in the club. SJ left the club with Snap Hunter.
9) Here’s where it gets all surreal. Jackson says outside the club he was approached by “a small black male with a handicapped short arm.” This guy had one hand “in the back of his pants.” (The police don’t clarify, but I’m assuming it wasn’t his “handicapped short arm” behind him.) Weirder, SJ tells the police this little guy was yelling, “Dump!” over and over. Jackson thought this meant to shoot, and he started yelling back at the guy, and somehow this escalated until SJ got punched in the mouth by a “short stocky” guy. But isn’t everyone going to be short to Stephen Jackson?
10) Jackson says he had his handgun on him while all of this was happening, but he never mentions having gone to his car. So was he strapped the entire night?
11) Jackson and the short stocky guy fight. Then the guy hops into a car and drives it at Stephen, “which threw him over the vehicle and onto the ground.” He squeezed off four or five shots, Snap Hunter helped him up and then Snap threw the gun into SJ’s car.
12) The police interview Tinsley. His first name is spelled “Jamall” throughout the document. Not a lot of Pacers fans in the police department.
13) JT says they were in the club and someone ordered them drinks, but he doesn’t say who. Then, and this might be my favorite sentence of the year, “a black male with handcappied short arms started yelling about being a pimp and saying none of the Pacers have $500.”
14) No, I don’t know what “handcappied short arms” are either.
15) Tinsley says there was beef with the short guy and the stocky guy inside the club, because those two guys were causing problems with the dancers the Pacers had paid for. Tinsley agrees that the short guy was yelling out in the parking lot and had his hand in his waistband. He heard the gunshots but didn’t know where they came from.
16) Snap Hunter, your turn. He tells the exact same story as Jackson, and adds that he saw Jackson get hit by the car. Next!
17) Marquise Daniels was actually parked across the street from the other guys, and from across the street he saw a fight broke out and he saw Jackson get hit by the car. He was, however, “unsure if he heard any gunshots.” That’s it for Marquise Daniels — he’s never mentoined again.
18) Next comes the club’s DJ, who’s story is slightly different: He heard gunshots and came to the front door, where he “observed a handicapped black man being thrown to the ground and kicked.” He then saw Jackson get hit by the car and then heard more gunshots after that.
19) The police found a few bullets and tire marks, and the club’s video apparently shows Jackson being thrown from the car after being hit. That’s gotta hit YouTube soon.
20) After all this they take another statement from Jackson and this time they taped it. Jackson tells the same story again, this time slipping in that he did run to his car and grap his gun before the fight started. The fight started, and he now says he never got punched. He does allow that “he did kick the male with the handicapped arm when he was on the ground.” Man.
21) Jackson said he fired a gun into the air a few times to break up the fight, he got run over by the car, and then he fired a few more times.
22) I really like that Stephen was able to describe the car by one important detail: It had 26-inch wheels. He’s sure of that.
23) One day later they take statements from Daniels, Hunter, Tinsley and Tinsley’s friend. Guess who says the marijuana belongs to him. Go ahead…take a guess…right! The one guy who isn’t an NBA player. Sure is lucky for those guys. Whew!
24) Two days later, the police got a tip that the two suspects were in an apartment complex. They go over there and catch the guys, who turn out to be cousins, both with the last name Willford. The cops take ‘em in.
25) The guy they call Dino, who must be the stocky one, tells his side. He says nothing happened in the club, and then once they were outside all the Pacers Crew surrounded his cousin (who must be the guy with the handicapped arm). He says he saw the Pacers crew beating up his cousin, then heard gunshots. He jumped in his car and on the way out drove over the guy who was firing the gun. Apparently he left his cousin there to get beat up.
26) His cousin, who appears to be the guy with the handicapped arm, goes next. This must be Fingers. Fingers says he was leaving the club and trying to talk to a woman when Stephen Jackson came up to him and started yelling at him and waiving a gun around. He then fired into the air. Next thing Fingers knew, a bunch of guys had him on the ground and were kicking him. He looked up and saw Dino driving away. (Thanks, cuz.) He then — and this is great — says he got up and walked over to a pay phone, where he called a cab. Just like that it was over?
27) And that’s about it for the police report. They mention going to Dino’s Mom’s house and impounding the car, and then it ends.
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Doc Rivers-
"Maybe I'm just too old to get the gun thing. Guys believe they need them. I don't. Maybe that's just me. It's amazing what's happening with guns. I've yet to hear a hero story with guns, about saving kids. The reason you won't hear it is because all the kids are asleep at 3 a.m."
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If Jackson's found not guilty, team is left in a real bind (http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061012/COLUMNISTS01/610120433/1088/SPORTS04)
They need a conviction.
Not the Marion County Prosecutor's Office, although that would look good on Carl Brizzi's prosecutorial resume. No, the ones who really need Stephen Jackson to be convicted of the numerous charges leveled at him Wednesday are the Indiana Pacers -- team CEO Donnie Walsh and president Larry Bird, in particular -- thus doing for the organization what they should have done for themselves this summer.
If Jackson is convicted by a court of law -- as opposed to the court of public opinion, in which he has already been sentenced to death by lethal injection -- he's history. Suspended by the league, suspended by the Pacers, possibly gone to jail and likely gone from Indiana for good.
And if he's not convicted?
Great for Jackson.
But a nightmare for the Pacers.
At that point, the team, which has gone from model franchise to Trailpacers in just three strange and unfortunate years, will have another major mess on its hands.
It's this simple: They can't win back fans with Jackson on this roster.
At one point Tuesday, when it appeared Jackson might be painted as the victim and all of this might eventually blow over, I thought maybe this was salvageable.
Not anymore.
Even Jamaal Tinsley, apparently a bit player in the Club Rio scuffle, got booed Wednesday night at Conseco Fieldhouse.
Jackson has no chance at redemption here. He can eventually win in a court of law. He can't win in the court of public opinion.
If Jackson is ultimately exonerated, the Pacers will have no choice but to keep him on the roster. Sure, there's some vague language about moral turpitude and all of that in the basic player contract, but if a court of law finds him innocent, what case could the Pacers make for terminating his contract?
He stayed out past bedtime?
He hangs out with unsavory characters with film noir nicknames?
And how hypocritical would it be for the Pacers, the same ones who stuck by Ron Artest all those years, to suddenly find religion and cast out Jackson, a player they've long known to have self-control issues?
As long as Jackson is on this roster, a number of fans will never truly embrace this team. Is that right? Is that wrong? I tend to think it's slightly hysterical, and fails to give Jackson the opportunity to clear his name in a court of law, but I'm not the one paying big dollars for the season tickets.
While the facts of this case have changed pretty dramatically the last 48 hours, transforming Jackson from victim to serial bad guy, remember a few things before making a rush to judgment:
The prosecutor here, Brizzi, is in the middle of a re-election campaign, and if there's any Pacer who makes a perfect sacrificial lamb for a get-tough-on-crime guy, it's the almost universally lamentable Jackson.
And before we start shedding tears for "Fingers'' and "Dino'' -- the now-infamous Willford brothers who were involved in the incident -- please note that Quentin ("Fingers'') spent six years in prison for burglary, escape and dealing cocaine.
In situations like these, celebrity can be a double-edged sword.
The question has been asked why police didn't haul people into jail when the marijuana was found. Preferential treatment? Impossible to say. I've been told that in similar situations with regular Joes, police have acted in precisely the same way.
Now, though, you've got a prosecutor who, while he's doing his job, is also seizing a fabulous political opportunity. This may be one of those times when it's not a good thing being young, rich and famous. Or infamous.
"What's important is we treat everybody the same,'' Brizzi said Wednesday. "No matter their status, wealth or position.''
While all the focus has been on Jackson, it shouldn't be forgotten that Marquis Daniels, Tinsley and Jimmie "Snap'' Hunter played a role in this whole mess. They haven't been charged with anything, yet, but the police reported they found marijuana in Tinsley's car. Now, the Pacers don't have the power to say, "Fellas, let me introduce you to this little plastic cup,'' but the NBA has the power to follow up with random tests when a reasonable suspicion exists.
Even if one of Tinsley's friends is saying it's his pot -- and what are friends for, right? -- I would think the NBA would want to follow up by sending a drug-testing correspondent to town.
By now, you would have thought the noxious cloud that has covered this organization would have dissipated, if only a little. Wasn't Artest gone? Weren't Jackson and Tinsley swearing to be new men? Weren't the changes in the locker room supposed to alter the culture?
It's sad, really, how an organization once hailed as an NBA model has turned into a punch line. Walsh is a fundamentally good man whose greatest flaw is, he believes too much in people, leads with his heart, only to take it on the chin time and again.
"It's been heartbreaking, to be honest with you, because I always felt we had a good franchise and I was proud of that," Walsh said. "That's taken quite a hit in the last three years. Yeah, I feel very, very bad about that.''
Who could have imagined? After all those offseason changes, the most important Pacers addition is a middle-aged prosecutor with questionable hops.
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Dumb mother fucker.
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At this point the Indiana Pacers cant trade Jackson for equal value so that shouldnt be a option. Missing the playoffs isnt a option w/ the Pacers so cutting Jackson makes no sense. Also it makes no sense for the Pacers to want Jackson to get sentenced to jail time, I dont see any logic in that. They need to hope he isnt convicted and deal w/ his poor attitude cause you cant deny he plays hard, he's tough and he's talented so there is no good in losing him for nothing.
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A different ballgame
Pacers GM Larry Bird has seen NBA change for the worse, and he has had front-row seat (http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/printedition/cs-0610170215oct17,1,7146936.column?page=1&coll=cs-sports-print)
October 17, 2006
INDIANAPOLIS -- Larry Bird doesn't quite know what to make of what's going on with his Indiana Pacers: Four players involved in a fight in which shots were fired outside a strip club at 3 a.m. during training camp, Stephen Jackson charged with a felony, Jamaal Tinsley with marijuana found in his car. Then, a few days later, police stopped a car registered to but not driven by Jermaine O'Neal and discovered marijuana.
Call it Hoosier Buffoonery.
It's not that Bird is exactly naive, having been in the NBA for more than a quarter of a century and traveled the world for the game he loves. But the Hall of Famer and Pacers general manager sometimes has to shake his head that this great game, basketball, isn't enough fun.
He has seen his share of grass, though only with his mower or 5-iron.
"I came in [the NBA] in '79 and I couldn't believe all the talk about drugs," Bird was saying last week in a quiet corridor of Conseco Fieldhouse after a local prosecutor announced charges against Jackson.
Bird is a bit softer around the middle these days, but his eyes are as hard and determined as ever. You look at Bird and you know he'd still hit that dagger of a jumper and smile knowingly.
"The first year, I never saw any drugs," Bird recalled. "I was there 13 years and never saw one guy using drugs. Sure, you'd always hear about a Micheal Ray (Richardson, banned in the mid-1980s for drug use). But you'd never see it. The guns, guys had them, but not around."
Perhaps it was because Bird was all basketball.
I remember what it was like to set up an interview if you wanted to get him alone for a story. Bird would say to meet him at the arena around 4 or 4:30 p.m.
"I'll be there shooting about 3," he'd say.
The game started at 7:30.
OK, OK, they don't make many like Larry Bird.
But isn't it enough to have a chance to play for a living instead of work? Isn't that the ultimate high? Not that Bird isn't standing by his players. He expects Jackson to return.
"We're around these guys and see the real person," Bird insisted, his unqualified support for Ron Artest this time last year still haunting him. "[Jackson has] never been arrested. He's a guy who called us (after turning down a $10 million offer from the Spurs) and wanted to play for us. He'd take (the minimum) $1 million. He wanted to be a part of this."
Instead, he's now in the middle of all this.
"It was about '86 or '87 and I was at this All-Star Game," Bird said. "[Pat] Riley came on the bus and it was just me and him alone. This was about when they started all that hip-hop stuff, and everything is real loud, and he says to me, `Our league is changing.' And I said, `You're telling me? Willie Nelson singing the national anthem, that's me.'"
Mama, don't let your babies grow up to run an NBA team?
Nothing of the sort.
This is a bad time for Bird's home state team. Since appearing in the 2000 NBA Finals in Bird's last season as coach and winning 61 games in his first season running the basketball operations (2003-04), the Pacers have had three consecutive seasons of embarrassment and disruption.
There was the November 2004 brawl in Detroit, followed by a lackluster 2005-06 season in which internal fissures were about to crack the solid foundation built over two decades.
And now this, shock and aw, shucks.
"I got the call at 6 a.m.," Bird was saying about the shooting incident. "It was [team Vice President] Rick Fuson. I thought something happened to Donnie [Walsh]."
Something did.
Walsh is the godfather of a franchise envied around the sports world for its success and compassion. Walsh has been at the wheel for two decades during which the Pacers have been steered to the playoffs, vital for a small-market team. The Pacers have made it 16 of the last 17 seasons after missing in nine of 10 before Walsh took over.
Few organizations have been more media-friendly thanks to Walsh, who is the first name in the unofficial NBA reporter's guidebook. When new reporters start in the NBA, they are told if they have questions to call Walsh. He routinely treats them like seasoned veterans.
And that's distant compared to his care for his players.
Walsh is under the impression everyone deserves a second chance, though lately his games of chance have crapped out with Artest and now Jackson. Walsh's contract expires after this season, and it's possible he will yield to Bird, who isn't about to allow Walsh's legacy to be diminished.
There have been whispers that Bird, whose post-playing career has been sprinkled with hiatuses, may be ready for another career timeout, that it may be time to retire to the big spread he recently purchased in southern Indiana. It's not the same game or the same guys.
"It's very frustrating," Bird admitted. "I've never been around anything like this. But I'm not a quitter. I could never think about leaving now. I would never do that. That would be the easy thing for anyone. I would never do that. I'm not like that."
Bird says he's intent on bringing the Pacers back to championship contention from this morass. Sure, like some awkward white guy and Indiana University dropout from Indiana State could become one of the dominant players in NBA history?
Oh, that's right.
"I've always said I've won championships outside Indiana," Bird noted. "I never won in college, never won in high school. I couldn't win as a coach. I just want to see this franchise get back to the Finals. If this team could just get the opportunity to win the thing, I could feel good about myself and retire."
So it starts again. The Pacers will wait out Jackson's legal fate, but Bird knows things have to change. Everything evolves.
"You've got to be long and athletic now," he said. "Push the ball. We played the slowdown, drop it in and stand around. Defenses are different now. If you are going to compete, you might as well get out there and push it a little bit."
So Bird, who has specialized in scouting thus far, continues to do his Bird-dogging.
"It's going to be harder now," he said. "We thought with the changes we made we were a better team. It's another bump in the road we've got to overcome. Red [Auerbach] always told me a year is not very long and the draft is really important.
"Also, you take a look at players who may not be playing hard for (a poor team) and if you know they've got talent, their mind-set can change. That's one of our challenges. Believe me, we'll be standing here next year and saying, `Where did the year go?'
"I remember talking to Slick (Leonard, then Pacers coach and general manager). They had the (1978) No. 1 pick and I met with him. He said, `Are you coming out of school?' I said I was going back to school. He said, `Gosh dang. It sure would help the franchise.' They traded the pick. They couldn't wait."
Bird's waiting, but he's not going to be patient.
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Thanks, but no thanks? (http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/sports/basketball/15786959.htm)
By DWAIN PRICE
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Sacramento Kings guard Ron Artest sympathized with his former Indiana Pacers teammate Stephen Jackson, who was involved recently in an incident outside an Indianapolis strip club, during which he was hit by a car and fired a gun into the air.
"I was just upset that the guy hit Stephen with that car," Artest said. "If I was there, I probably would have helped Stephen out."
In 2004, Jackson went into the stands at The Palace of Auburn Hills (Mich.) to help Artest, who was fighting with a fan.
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I am sick of all the drama regarding the Pacers. We always have loads of talent but shit off the court or in the stands I should say always screws us over and its the fans that get hurt. This year should be great w/ JO, Harrington, Jackson, M. Daniels, and Granger but I'm sure some other drama will occur during the season that will fuck up our chances like usual.
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Support for Jackson (http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061019/SPORTS04/610190482)
Stephen Jackson has a clean slate in Cincinnati. Booed by some Pacers fans during the past two preseason games at Conseco Fieldhouse, he heard none Wednesday.
He led the Pacers with 13 points in 23 minutes -- 11 in the third period when the Pacers rallied to get within a point heading into the fourth.
Jackson said he has heard from NBA players and other friends since an incident at Club Rio two weeks ago, which resulted in pending felony charges against him.
Stephon Marbury, Mike Bibby and Baron Davis called. Former teammate Ron Artest tried to call and later left a message on Jackson's MySpace Web site page. Cleveland coach Mike Brown, who worked with Jackson in San Antonio and Indianapolis, also sent regards, as did the Spurs organization.
"It means a lot," Jackson said. "They really know me. They know I've never been in trouble in my life. I'm not a bad guy. I ain't no thug like everybody is trying to portray me to be."
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Support for Jackson (http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061019/SPORTS04/610190482)
Stephen Jackson has a clean slate in Cincinnati. Booed by some Pacers fans during the past two preseason games at Conseco Fieldhouse, he heard none Wednesday.
He led the Pacers with 13 points in 23 minutes -- 11 in the third period when the Pacers rallied to get within a point heading into the fourth.
Jackson said he has heard from NBA players and other friends since an incident at Club Rio two weeks ago, which resulted in pending felony charges against him.
Stephon Marbury, Mike Bibby and Baron Davis called. Former teammate Ron Artest tried to call and later left a message on Jackson's MySpace Web site page. Cleveland coach Mike Brown, who worked with Jackson in San Antonio and Indianapolis, also sent regards, as did the Spurs organization.
"It means a lot," Jackson said. "They really know me. They know I've never been in trouble in my life. I'm not a bad guy. I ain't no thug like everybody is trying to portray me to be."
Its great to see Jack getting support. I love him as a player and I am so excited to watch him play this year. Cant wait for the season!!!