Stephen Jackson says he was one of the rare players not to be scared of Coach Pop: 'I'm not afraid of nothing but God'

Stephen Jackson's time with the San Antonio Spurs was a mixture of success, challenges, and growth. He wasn't the type of player to shy away from any situation, including his relationship with legendary coach Gregg Popovich.

Few players in the NBA could mirror Jackson's approach to Popovich. While some players feared the longtime head coach's intense coaching style, Jackson was different, believing that Pop's tough love was a key factor in his growth as a player.

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"Stack's" career with the Spurs began in 2001, and he quickly established himself as a strong, versatile player. However, his relationship with Coach Pop wasn't always smooth. The dynamic wing viewed him as a head tactician and nothing else and always stood up to him.

"Not at all; I'm not afraid of anything but God; I was not afraid of him," said Jackson. "I challenged him a lot; I challenged him because of a lot of things he was doing; it wasn't because I wasn't a good basketball player; he was trying to make me a mature man, being in games and mad because I didn't get the ball or something like that and argue with my teammates; that wasn't the winning way in San Antonio, so he was trying to raise me as a man; I thought he was just picking up on me."

During the 2002-03 season, the two-way wing had a significant role in the Spurs' run to the championship. Despite being his first taste of playoff experience, he was the team's third-leading scorer. However, despite contributing significantly to their success, Popovich was tough on him because of Jackson's fiery personality, which was often a double-edged sword for the Spurs.