Jon Marks
The Port Arthur News
— PHILADELPHIA — Whose career would you rather have? A string of Hall of Famers with spectacular individual accomplishments in scoring, rebounding, assists and/or shot-blocking? Namely Karl Malone, John Stockton, Patrick Ewing and Charles Barkley, among others, who put up big numbers but never were part of a championship team.
Or a couple of kids from Texas' Golden Triangle who won state championships for Andre Boutte more than half a decade apart, then parlayed that into solid --yet unspectacular-- pro careers, topped by winning NBA championship rings?
Port Arthur's Stephen Jackson says it's no contest which way not only he but most others would vote. “An NBA career's not a career if you don't win a championship,'' said Jackson, who along with Beaumont native Kendrick Perkins has done Southeast Texas proud.
“Those guys had great careers, but if you ask them one thing they'd give all those personal accolades back for an NBA championship,” added Jackson. “They've made all-star teams, been MVPs, but never won an NBA championship.
“It makes a difference.”
That's not the only thing the 31-year-old Jackson, trying desperately to get his latest team — the Charlotte Bobcats — into the playoffs for the first time ever, and the 25-year-old Perkins, a mainstay for the still dangerous Boston Celtics, have in common different from most of their NBA brethren. Put it this way. Neither will be glued to the tube when the NCAA tournament brackets come out later today.
Unlike Perkins' teammates Paul Pierce (Kansas) and Rajon Rondo (Kentucky) or Jackson's teammates Gerald Henderson (Duke) and D.J. Augustin (Texas), they have no vested interest in Selection Sunday, since neither of them attended college.
“I never looked back,'' said Perkins, who blocked four shots during a win here last week. “I don't care if I didn't play my first two years. To be out there and be part of this I'm happy.''
Not only with his job, but with the relationship he's formed through the years with Jackson — the other guy from the neighborhood. “We're real close,'' said the 6-10, 280 pound Perkins,'' who is averaging 10.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in this his sixth NBA season. “He's like my big brother.
“We get together in the summer time. He's thinking about getting a house by mine in Houston.''
The closeness is definitely mutual. “Kendrick's like my little brother,'' said Jackson, who's having a career year —averaging 20.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.5 assists — after scoring 24 points in a rare Bobcats' road win here Wednesday.
“I work out with him every summer. He was in my wedding. I was in his wedding. We talk at least once or twice a week, so I'm very concerned how he's doing and how his team is doing. I definitely keep tabs on him.''
‘Big Brother’ is also proud of the man from Beaumont for another reason. “It's more special because he made it from high school out of our area, which had never been done before,'' said Stephen, who migrated North from Lincoln High in Port Arthur to Oak Hill (VA) Academy for his senior year. “Coming from our area and winning a championship (with the Celtics in 2008) he's accomplished a lot.
“He should've been an all-star.''
Speaking of which, Jackson strongly feels Perk is not the only one who's been snubbed in that department. In his own case, reputation — going back to his time in Indiana when he was suspended 30 games as part of the "Palace Brawl'' and a later gun incident, coupled with some issues he had this season with Golden State coach Don Nelson that precipitated the trade to Charlotte — have worked against him.
“To be honest, I think I should've made it the last three years,'' claimed Jackson, a career 15.9 scorer in 10 seasons with the Nets (one year), Spurs (two, including the 2003 Championship season), Hawks (1), Pacers (three) and Warriors (two), before being dealt nine games into this season. “But it didn't happen.
“I'm pretty sure a lot of people still hold the past against me, but I've moved on. People can think what they want, but the people I play with and the people who know me know what kind of person I am. You can look at all the stuff off the court, that doesn't matter. Look at me as a basketball player, because I know I can play this game.''
So does his current coach, who says Jackson has been instrumental in the Bobcats' rise from also ran to a team fighting with Milwaukee, Miami, Toronto and Chicago for one of four available playoff spots in the East — all separated by 3 1/2 games. “I've always been a fan of his,” said Larry Brown, who consulted with Spurs' coach Gregg Popovic before pulling the trigger on the deal. “And Pop thought he was terrific.
“He makes shots. He can make plays for others. He's got a high basketball I.Q. His only problem is he lets outside things affect him. With his ability, he's always felt like he was one of the elite players in the league, but has never gotten the kind of recognition we all feel he deserves. That's kind of been hard for him.
“But he's made us better.”
By the same token, in a totally different manner, Kendrick Perkins is just as indispensable to Boston. “We've got a defensive presence in the middle,'' said Celtics' star Kevin Garnett. “That makes everything easier.
“You know you can play defense and if you do get beat he has your back. When he's blocking shots, Rondo's turning the corner and we're in our scheme, we're darn near impossible to beat.''
Unlike two years ago when everything went right for the men in green, that's not the way most expect it to play out this year. But Perkins is confident come playoff time the Celtics will be ready to make their presence felt.
“I know of late we probably haven't been the favorite to win it,'' said Kendrick, who has gradually begun to re-establish a relationship with his estranged father, Kenneth, “but teams still come at us and play us hard.
“I think this month of March is key for us and for me personally. Defensively, March needs to be my best defensive time going into April and then carry it on to the playoffs.''
Ah, the playoffs. While the Celtics' post-season ticket has long been punched, the Bobcats are fighting on a nightly basis for their playoffs lives. `
“We know what's at stake,'' said Jackson, assuming the veteran leadership role players like David Robinson and Steve Smith had when he was just starting out on that 2003 San Antonio team that won it all. “Every game counts right now, so we have to approach every game with a sense of urgency.''
Should they get in, it's not at all beyond the realm of possibility Charlotte could draw Boston as a first round opponent.
“It would be great,'' smiled Stephen, whose Jack 1 Foundation in Port Arthur continues to serve his old community. “Anyone in the playoffs would be great for us, but to play against Kendrick would be something special
“I know our families would probably be sitting together, because my wife (Renata) and his wife (Vanity) are good friends.''
That's for down the road, though. For now, there are still games to be played--and won--as the Golden Triangle's two favorite basketball-playing sons continue to do their thing. And, at the same time, raise the bar for others to follow.
“I think the biggest thing was that basketball was all we had,'' Jackson explains about the road he and Perkins have taken. “We played all the time and worked on it and were both blessed by God to be tall and have these gifts.
“I go home every summer. I tell kids 'If we can do it you can do it.' And Kendrick supports me in all those things.''
Together, not only have they beaten the odds, both have climbed to the NBA's championship mountaintop, a destination which current stars like LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Dirk Nowitzki and Carmelo Anthony can only hope to one day achieve.
As a result, you can call the Golden Triangle Texas' own cradle of champions.
Jon Marks covers the NBA for the Philadelphia Sports Examiner
