MSG, Mark Jackson part ways before analyst works games

A years-old issue suddenly came to light as former ESPN analyst Mark Jackson was set to call broadcasts for his hometown team.

According to the New York Post's Andrew Marchand, Jackson is no longer scheduled to work for the New York Knicks' cable channel, the MSG Network. 

A spokesman for the channel told the reporter that "we weren’t able to work something out this season" while the team itself declined to comment on the decision. Reportedly, Jackson was banned from the team's plane, bus and hotel for their upcoming five-game road trip.

Jackson was to be part of a rotating pool of analysts that would fill in on occasion for Walt "Clyde" Frazier, the dual Hall of Famer both on the court and on television for his work with the Knicks. 

Jackson, the Queens native and 1987-88 Rookie of the Year, was let go from ESPN shortly after the 2023 NBA Finals as Disney's sports division chose to revamp its lead NBA broadcast play-by-play team. 

ESPN also made the change as part of Disney's cost-cutting mandate where the umbrella company went through several rounds of layoffs, including to on-air talents such as another Knicks alum and Jackson's longtime colleague, former head coach Jeff Van Gundy.

The reasoning behind MSG's decision is rather peculiar, however, because of its timing. Marchand reported that a conflict between Jackson and assistant coach Darren Erman going back nearly a decade had resurfaced:

"In 2014, Darren Erman, a current Knicks assistant, was fired by Jackson — then Golden State’s head coach — with Erman an assistant on his staff. An ESPN report shortly after stated that Erman had taped Jackson and the players unbeknownst to them. Jackson later called Erman’s actions “inexcusable.” Jackson was fired by Golden State later that year."