“Every day, I wish I wouldn’t have ever left,” said Jackson, whom the Spurs acquired Thursday by trading Richard Jefferson to Golden State. “My career has taken me to a lot of places, but it’s good to end up back here where I always felt I belonged. “It’s sweet, man. Great team, great young guys, the organization is still one of the best in the league, if not the best, and I’m just happy to be back where I’ve always been family and somewhere I want to be.”

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Stephen Jackson finally gets that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

Years ago, Jackson helped the San Antonio Spurs win a championship; however, he left as a free agent after a trivial contract dispute.

The Spurs - with Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker - continued winning, while Jackson became a basketball-nomad, alienating some combination of coaches, teammates, fans, and law enforcement in each of his stops.

Worst of all, ‘Captain Jack’ teased with his talent. Remember, the versatile swing was terrific for the Golden State Warriors before falling-out with coach Don Nelson.

Over the years, one thing never changed: Jackson and the Spurs were good together.

So Thursday’s news that the black-and-silver had acquired Jackson for Richard Jefferson was hardly a surprise. His shooting and toughness could be the difference between the Spurs winning or losing a round in the Western Conference playoffs.

Expect Jackson to shine in this second stint with the Spurs. He’s learned - the hard way - that San Antonio is pretty green.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Why do Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett hate each other?

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: I'd be afraid of KG if I was Timmy.

Tim Duncan agrees to a 3 year deal for $36 million with the San Antonio Spurs.

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Typical Duncan this signing was simple, straight-forward, and boring. Dwight Howard could learn something.

Spurs happy to sleep this off-season away.

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: 

Now that LeBron has actually won an NBA title (combined with his freak athletic ability and loaded Heat squad) will he someday be regarded as the best NBA player EVER?

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: James is closer to MJ's level than the haters want to admit.

Tim Duncan told he doesn't have the chops to rap with Stephen Jackson, Kevin Durant, and more.

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Have we ever heard a good basketball rapper? EVER?

Tim Duncan once gave teammate Brent Barry $100 to kiss David Stern.

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: It's such a great story I'm shocked we didn't hear it sooner.

David Stern promises substantial sanctions against the Spurs for not playing Duncan, Ginobili, & Parker.

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: David Stern is a dictator that needs to be put in his place. Oh, and the Spurs almost won.

Tim Duncan and Tony Parker in trouble for this joke caught on camera and we've got the pic.

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: This is horrible timing for the Spurs and I doubt David Stern can take a joke. (full pic inside)

In honor of the spurs sweep of the Lakers we have the Top 10 animated gifs of Tim Duncan.

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: They call him the Big Fundamental, but his gifs sure are funny.

I’m not talking about Javaris Crittenton dangerous. It’s more like “scary player can dominate the NBA like Jordan” dangerous. The kid right now is already in many people’s top ten lists. Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Tim Duncan, and Shawn Kemp were not THIS explosive. They were not this good early in their careers. Griffin is so good that I had to acknowledge that he might be a future triple double factory in this piece. Seriously, how great can this kid get without factoring in injuries like he sustained in his first year?

In the words of Yoda, “66 games does not a season make.” Well, maybe Yoda never actually said that, but I’m pretty sure he would at least be thinking it based on the latest news regarding the NBA lockout.

This comes up every playoff time involving great active players such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James right now in 2011. Whenever one of them goes deep in a playoff run putting up good statistics and highlight plays, the media and former players gas these guys up. The method is definitely a “prisoner of the moment” type thing. Why do you guys do it? There is a lot of front running and some trolling. All good though. I’m ready. We’re ready. My body is ready. Let’s do this. Remember that the standards are extremely high and strict. These legends have great accomplishments. However, further scrutiny causes them not be the ultimate GOAT.

Derrick Rose is officially the youngest NBA MVP for anyone living in a cave kicking it with John Rambo. He earned it at 22 years old. Leading the team to the number one record is a tall order for anyone. The 2010-2011 season is historic mainly because of this. Basketball fans witnessed something amazing that we will not see again from any 22 year old NBA player. It was fun to see all of the games on DirecTV. Chicago’s offense and the opposing team’s defensive game plans truly revolved around the Poohdini of the Hardwood.

The Chicago Bulls becoming the number one team, record wise, reveals a quantum leap this season and ramifications for the future. Not many people are examining the Bulls massive improvements – they practically flew over the Atlantic Ocean without breaking a sweat. Imagine predicting that the Bulls would be the number one team with the best defense before the season started. Imagine that. People laugh, mock, wants some weed that you smoked, and then label you a Bulls homer. That is why some of us should say, “We’ll see.”

You wouldn't believe the number of inky abominations etched into the pelts of pro ballers.  I'd originally planned a simple list of the league's ten worst tats, but when my dishonourable mention section hit double digits I realised I'd need to expand the scope of the project a little.  Even when I elongated the list to twenty-five terrible tattoos, I still found that I had to exclude some real atrocities.  In the end it took a full fifty spots to showcase the shittiest skin art in the L.

Tony Parker says that age has finally caught up with the Spurs. "At the start of the season I said this was our last chance," he said. "Tim and Gino (Manu Ginobili) are getting old. It's going to be tough to regenerate ourselves.

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HoopsVibe`s Very Quick Call: Good. Just not great.

This is how Tony Parker sees his San Antonio Spurs, who, according to the lightning-quick table-setter, are now too old to win an NBA championship.

Parker thinks the Spurs are still relevant, though; however, their days of June victory parades along the San Antonio river-walk are no more.

Going forward, the Spurs` greatest challenge is identity -as in they lost theirs.

For years, Gregg Popovich`s crew were known for air-tight defence. Home or away, they were always competitive because they got-stops.

This season, they shifted to an up-tempo system to create easy hoops for the veterans. It worked during the regular season when games are open.

In the playoffs, the tempo slows. Teams get dirty, especially on defense. And the Spurs couldn`t adjust, which resulted in a, somewhat, surprising loss to the upstart Memphis Grizzlies.

So for the Spurs to stay competitive, they must rediscover their defensive chops. Or, The Alamo could continue falling in the Western Conference.

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: They were down 3-1 in the series. And they were down 3 with seconds remaining.

So, who did the San Antonio Spurs turn to when their season was on-the-line? Tim Duncan? Manu Ginobili? Richard Jefferson? Or even Tony Parker?

No, Coach Gregg Popovich called on rookie Gary Neal to tie the game with a clutch three-pointer. The Spurs then won in overtime.

To be fair, this wasn't a complete shocker because Neal led all rookies in three-point percentage. However, most first year players would find the circumstances overwhelming.

Not Neal, though.

Watch the clip and get at us with thoughts in the comment box below. 

-Oly Sandor.

Krstic left with 2:18 left in the first half of Thursday's game after landing awkwardly on his right leg. His knee became bent out of shape and he immediately felt the pain. With the help of Celtics trainer Ed Lacerte, Krstic limped off the floor. Krstic will return home to Boston where he will undergo an MRI on Friday.

For LeBron James, the signs are all familiar. The initial discomfort in a new system. The frustrating losses. The growing pains. The private bickering, questioning and second-guessing. The attitude issues. Even the turbulence during particularly heated timeouts. James knows that script all too well. He's lived it during the honeymoon period with the Miami Heat, the one that sent the team into a brief stretch of disarray following a difficult 9-8 start.

"I know exactly what he's going through right now," James said of his friend Carmelo Anthony's more-difficult-than-expected indoctrination with the Knicks. "And it's going to take time. Everybody knows we were 9-8. We had to figure things out. And we're still figuring things out.

HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Who says the youth of today don't respect their elders?

The Utah Jazz’s Al Jefferson is a soft-spoken gentleman, and has no problem paying homage to established superstars like Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett.

Watch the video and get at us with thoughts on the interview with Jefferson.

--Oly Sandor.

The Spurs have reached a contract agreement with Tiago Splitter, according to Ticket 760 (KTKR-AM). He is expected to sign the undisclosed deal on Monday. San Antonio drafted Splitter with the 28th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.

The Spurs are the first choice of free-agent center Shaquille O'Neal, a source told FanHouse. O'Neal is looking to play two more seasons in the NBA. The source said that San Antonio and Atlanta are at the top of O'Neal's list and there is interest from both sides.

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Amar'e Stoudemire flew into New York yesterday, and he already is recruiting other stars around the league to join him on the Knicks. "I've talked to Carmelo Anthony to come out here, I've talked to Tony Parker," Stoudemire said last night after seeing a Broadway show. "Both those guys are ready to join me if I decide to come here, so I'm gonna see if we can work it out."

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HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Ah Amare, there are problems with your plan.

First, you haven't officially signed a contract with the New York Knicks. Nothing is on paper; there's no deal. And if LeBron James suddenly decided he wanted to ink a multi-year pact with the NYC, he would get to pick the big he wanted to partner with.

So Chris Bosh or even Carlos Boozer could be in. And you could be out.

Second, say you end up with the Knicks. Well, guess what? You've broken the NBA's tampering laws because Anthony and Parker have contracts with the Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs. They become free agents in July of 2011, and not July of 2010.

Perhaps, you were confused.

Fortunately, James Dolan has a relationship with Corporal Stern and the suits at league head office. He can probably smooth things over for you.

Third, you've thrown Anthony and Parker under the bus. These two may have privately expressed a desire to play in New York, but they expected these conversations to remain private and not end up in the news.

Anthony must now smooth things over with coach George Karl, Chauncey Billups, and Nugget fans, while Parker has to convince Tim Duncan, crazy coach Gregg Popovich, and the San Antonio Spurs that he's committed to winning an NBA Title in 2011.

After this, Anthony and Parker will feel they can't trust you. And if they can't trust you to keep hypothetical texts and private chats at the nightclub quiet, how can they trust you on-court as teammates? 

To be fair, you were probably excited about the possibility of signing in New York. This is understandable. The Knicks are a classic franchise. Madison Square Gardens is The Mecca of basketball. And forty-one evenings a year you'd get to rub shoulders with Spike Lee.

Now is not the time to revert to the immature antics of your past. Keep your cool. Remain a professional.

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Danny Ferry is out as general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers, choosing not to re-sign his contract that was set to expire in June. The decision comes as a surprise but was made days ago, and complicates the most important offseason in team history.

Ferry's departure Friday after five seasons occurred two weeks after the club fired coach Mike Brown following the team's second-round loss to the Boston Celtics in the NBA playoffs. It also comes as the team is making plans to try to re-sign two-time MVP LeBron James, who will be a free agent next month.

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HoopsVibe's Quick Call: It's official. The inmate, LeBron James, is running the asylum -even if he has a foot out the free agent door.

Ferry's firing comes as a surprise because days ago reports indicated the retired forward and owner Dan Gilbert had essentially agreed on an extension.

Apparently, the stumbling block was authority. Ferry rightfully thought a GM needed control over basketball operations. He wasn't prepared to deal with Gilbert or James meddling in personnel decisions.

So he left.

Assistant GM Chris Grant will slide into the big chair in the executive suite. However, it remains to be seen how much authority Grant will have as the new GM.

Expect Gilbert to be very involved this summer. If James resigns, Gilbert and Grant will likely let the superstar pick the new coach and have a large say in all basketball related decisions.

This isn't the way to run a winning organization. For instance, Tim Duncan always defers to coach Gregg Popovich and executive R.C. Buford. The Los Angeles Lakers started winning when Kobe Bryant quit commenting to random fans outside of strip malls about swapping Andrew Bynum for Jason Kidd and focused on basketball. And even the great Michael Jordan had little say in the happenings of the Chicago Bulls.

So Gilbert, who doesn't have James' name on a new deal, is taking a risk in re-structuring his entire organization to suit his free agent superstar.

Got thoughts on Ferry leaving the Cavaliers? Let us know in the comment box below.

The NBA on Thursday rescinded one of the two technical fouls assessed to Celtics center Kendrick Perkins in Boston's loss to Orlando in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday night, meaning Perkins will be available to play in Friday's Game 6.

The NBA took back the second of the two technicals, which occurred with 36.1 seconds remaining in the first half and resulted in Perkins' automatic ejection. Referee Eddie F. Rush tagged Perkins with the technical for arguing a foul call.

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HoopsVibe's Call:  Eddie F. Rush was too quick to slap Perkins with both technicals, even though the Boston Celtics' post is notorious for protesting calls.

Both of Perkins' technicals were overblown, and all three refs needed to show a little more patience, especially since game five of the Eastern Conference Finals is bound to be emotional. 

Coincidentally, Rush was working the game with fellow ref Joe Crawford, who also hit Rajon Rondo with a somewhat questionable technical.

Crawford, like Rush, has an itchy trigger finger on the technicals. A few years back, he slapped superstar Tim Duncan with two technicals over what was believed to be a personal conflict.

So, worst ejection of all time: Rush on Perkins or Crawford on Duncan? Watch both video clips and get at us in the comment box below with your call? 

(Rush ejecting Perkins.) 

(Crawford tossing Duncan.)      

Usually in professional sports, the coach is selling the free agent player on his team as a potential destination. The Los Angeles Clippers are prepared to take a different approach. As the only team without a coach that doesn't appear to be looking, reports say that the Clippers are prepared to offer big-name free agents something in addition to the maximum contract: pick your own coach. That's right, the plan in Los Angeles might be to use the coaching vacancy as an additional draw to free agents like Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and even Lebron James. They all know they will get the maximum salary, but where else can they pick their coach?

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HoopsVibe Call: It's why the Clippers are the Clippers. And it's why they'll remain a league laughingstock.

Despite having talented players, coaches, and executives, Los Angeles' other team can't get their act together. Allowing star free agents like Chris Bosh, LeBron James, and even Dwyane Wade to pick their next coach is another example of their lunacy.

Good organizations don't let the inmates - regardless of how talented Bosh, James, and Wade are - run the asylum. For instance, in San Antonio, Tim Duncan has always deferred to coach Gregg Popovich, which forces his teammates to listen to the veteran sideline boss.

Across town, Kobe Bryant, like it or not, follows Laker coach Phil Jackson -even though he oftens seems more like the duplicitous Machiavelli than the peaceful Zen-Master. And Michael Jordan also followed Jackson when they won six NBA Titles with the Chicago Bulls.

Having a player - regardless of how great he is - select their next coach makes that coach a subordinate. And this is a recipe for disaster. Of course, leave it to the Clippers, one of the worst organizations in pro sport, to make this blunder.

Should Bosh, James, or Wade get to pick the Clippers' next coach? Should any player get to pick his coach? Get at us in the comment box below with thoughts.     

LeBron James has had a lot of power in Cleveland, according to ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher.

Sources told Bucher that James vetoed trades he didn't like for the Cavaliers, while pushing other deals through that he thought would help the team.

Any team that signs LeBron will likely have to set a basis for how much power he'll have in the front office.

Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf never gave that type of power to Michael Jordan, so it's doubtful he'd give it to James.

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