Jerry Stackhouse played in the NBA last season for the Miami Heat. Right, I know, you probably didn’t realize that. He did though, he played seven games total in fact, starting one, and finished the season with an average of 1.7 points, 1 rebound, and 0.4 assists per game.
Despite that however, and along with the fact that he’s really not in the League anymore, the 16-year NBA veteran who has made more money than Antoine Walker’s spent during his time in the Association felt the need to weigh in on the NBA Lockout this week anyways. And when he did, he put union president Derek Fisher completely and entirely on blast.
Your enemies will come dressed as friends, Derek. Some may even call themselves Stack. You’ve been warned.
Here’s what Stackhouse said specifically, in an interview with Jim Rome:
“Not to say anything against Derek Fisher, it’s not that I don’t think he’s a great guy,” Stackhouse said, “But I don’t want him negotiating my contract. I want an agent who knows the lingo negotiating my contract. Derek Fisher, he doesn’t negotiate his own contract. He has an agent. So why would I want him negotiating something even bigger than his contract? This [Collective Bargaining Agreement] is something more important to everybody.”
You always know an epic blast is sure to follow the preamble: “Not to say anything against…” [insert the name of the person you plan to say something negative against]. Never fails.
Stackhouse continued:
“David Stern, he’s made this league what it is,” Stackhouse said. “He’s one of the greatest commissioners in sports. He’s got that title, he’s got the NBA at the place where it is because he’s a shrewd businessman and knows how to work his way, play the media, play things up to get what he wants. We don’t do that. Players are emotional. Players get emotional. So no, I don’t necessarily, particularly want Derek Fisher or any of the executive committee negotiating a contract for me.”
As far as the back-and-forth Derek Fisher engaged Jason Whitlock in, with respect to the report Whitlock published this past weekend, Stackhouse did nothing to help his NBA brethren there either.
“I don’t know [if Derek met with the NBA],” Stackhouse said. “I would hope not. I don’t think Derek is that kind of guy from what I’ve seen. But at the same time, he does have aspirations to possibly be a G.M. one day. If he can be the guy to bring the sides together in whatever way, maybe there would be an opportunity for him to be a G.M. I’m not saying that he has an ulterior motive but the possibility lies there.”
He did say that he doesn’t really think there’s a rift between Fisher and Billy Hunter though, which wasn’t too bad for Fish.
“I don’t think they are necessarily at odds. But I think they are obviously are each feeling different pressures. I can imagine their voicemails are full all the time, text messages all the time about different items, from different players and different representatives… Obviously you’re going to butt heads from time to time but I think for the most part both of those guys want to get a deal done.”
However then Stackhouse ends it by saying that the two guys really aren’t going about things the right way, which kinda takes back the only relatively supportive quote he offered.
“I’m not sure they are going about it the right way, of actually getting a good deal done for the players,” he said.
Maybe the players should hire Jerry Stackhouse as their president I guess.
Hat Tip: Eye On Basketball
