INTRO
It's very rare that you meet individuals in life that are humble and truly genuine. Those two qualities are very rare. You definitely don't find those traits in individuals that attain a certain level of success. The biggest compliment that I can give my friend Bobby Jackson is that he always stayed the same in terms of how humble/down to earth he is and the way he treats people. So thank you for that Bobby!
I also know that he is one of the hardest working players that I ever had the pleasure of playing with. Hard-nosed. (Squaring up with Tracy McGrady.) Competitive. (Battling Mike Bibby for minutes on those Sacramento Kings teams.) Marksman shooter. (Sixth Man of the Year 2003.) So the success that you saw Bobby have in college, the NBA, current business endeavors and the golf course-shouldn't really be a surprise. There is one individual that instilled a foundation in BJ at an early age. She is one of the main reasons why he became the man he is today.
TRAINWITHERICHARRIS: We had a very diverse team in regards to where guys came from. What made you want to sign with the Gophers coming from your respective hometown? (Salisbury, North Carolina) What other options did you have?
Bobby Jackson: I wasn't highly recruited coming out of high school, so I went to junior college. (Juco) The one thing that caught my eye about the University of Minnesota was the fact that there were a bunch of guys on the team that got along from all different parts of the country. Coach Clem Haskins played a huge part in my decision. So did Milton Barnes and Larry Davis. In terms of the schools on my list, I narrowed it down to Indiana, Cincinnati, Oklahoma, Wake Forest and Clemson. Those were the schools that I looked at. Everybody thought I would go to Wake Forest or Clemson because those schools were close to home.
TWEH: I remember you coming on your visit and killing when we played pick-up. I thought to myself, who is this guy? Do you remember that?
BJ: I do. Again, that's what I took away from that visit. I loved the fact that everyone was close knit. The guys treated me the same and didn't look at me like I was coming in to take their job. I was looking for that brotherhood.
TWEH: You definitely showed how skilled you were that day, but your work-ethic and passion for the game were also evident.
BJ: Basketball was always a challenge to me. I loved playing against different guys and showing who I was and where I came from. I had to get it the hard way and go to juco. (Western Nebraska Community College) That experience taught me a lot. I wouldn't change it.
TWEH: What was the basketball culture like in your hometown?
BJ: We were behind a little bit. You come from NYC-the mecca of basketball. You guys had a lot of avenues growing up. Playing for the Gauchos gave you the opportunity to play all over the country. We had a small AAU team and I played with my best friends. Most of those guys weren't good enough. We would stay in the area and play teams in Charlotte, Greensboro and Winston Salem, but would never venture outside the state. From that standpoint, we didn't get to see the wide spectrum of basketball. I could've played for a bigger AAU program, but I wanted to play with my friends. I think that's one of the best things that happened for me. I never lost focus of where I came from and I never left my friends behind-even though my game developed and their's didn't. We got our butts kicked pretty much all the time. However, it was the friendships we had and the bond that made me stick there and be there for them. I would definitely do it again.
TWEH: What was your first interaction with Clem 'The Gem' Haskins like? What was his message to you?
BJ: Two things stood out for me with coach. The first thing was the fact that I didn't have a father figure in my life growing up. Secondly, I never had the opportunity to play for a black coach. Coach Haskins was a straight shooter. He told me, "You have the potential, you have the talent, but this program is about getting your education and teaching you how to become a man. I'm going to be hard on you." For me, that was a challenge. I valued and respected that! A lot of other coaches weren't doing that.
TWEH: What do you mean?
BJ: I went on visits to other schools and it wasn't about your well-being and developing you as a young man. Those things were a factor in terms of deciding to go to the University of Minnesota. I remember it like it was yesterday. He was the only coach that said, "With your potential, you have a chance to play in the NBA. If you're willing to do the right things and play the right way, you definitely have a shot." That's why I love and respect coach Haskins. He saw something in me and it materialized. He was that father figure I never had.
TWEH: R.I.P. to your mom Sarah Jackson. Did she like Coach Haskins?
BJ: Thanks. My mom absolutely loved him! When I did go on the other college visits, I told her about what they were offering me and what they wanted from me. She was like nope. She never wanted me to get anything for free. She said, "You're going to get a free education and play basketball. I don't want them to think that they have anything over your head." She wanted me to earn my keep. That's just how my mom was. I relayed all of the information from my visits to her. At the end of the day, my mom was basically like, "You have to make a decision as a young man. I can tell you what to do, but what do you feel comfortable with?" So I respect her for allowing me to weigh the pros and cons and make a decision. Which led to the University of Minnesota.
TWEH: I know that those bags (money) were tempting though! They had to be coming your way. Lol.
BJ: It was, I can't lie about that. It just goes back to my mom and the values/foundation that she instilled in me. She worked really hard to support us, but she only had a sixth grade education. It was really tempting to me. So I always had her in the back of my mind in terms of not accepting anything for free and working for my own.
TWEH: Looking back @ how the 95'-96' season ended. I believe we won our last 6 or 7 regular season games. Did you have any feelings that 96'-97' could be special?
BJ: To be honest E, I knew we were good in 97'-I didn't realize we were that good. I didn't know what the ramifications were in terms of making it to the Final Four. All the hype associated with it. I actually didn't pay attention to it. It didn't hit me until we actually played our first NCAA game. That season was special. We had big road wins at Indiana and Michigan. We also won the Big Ten Championship outright. I didn't really pay attention to how successful we were at the time. I was just a kid from Salisbury, North Carolina that loved to play basketball. I was just looking forward to going out there and competing with the great group of guys we had.
TWEH: I really felt like we had the pieces to be a really good team going into that year. Toughness and size inside, perimeter players that could score the ball, great D inside and out, and experience. What role did you try to bring every game?
BJ: Going into my senior year in 97, I wanted to focus on being a leader. I wanted to be a good teammate and at the same time push my teammates. Another big thing was that we all respected the coaching staff. (Larry Davis, Bill Brown, & Charles Cunningham) They made us better every day and pushed us. We had some great, tough-nosed coaches. If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't of been where we were.
TWEH: True indeed. Two things I remember about our practices were how intense they were and the fact that we competed against one another. Me, you, Sam Jacobson, Quincy Lewis and Charles Thomas. Then the 'bigs' John Thomas, Courtney James, Trevor Winter and Miles Tarver competed like crazy on the other end. We also had the 3rd group with the 'Twins'-Jason & Jermaine Stanford and Aaron Stauber. They played their part as well and made us better. Can you elaborate on the art of competing?
BJ: I agree 100%. In today's sports, kids don't want to compete. They want everything handed to them. For us, I loved the art of competing. Competing is something that should be done every day in sports. Most kids forget how to compete. They want to be on a team where their job is given to them. They want to start without putting in the work. Our coaches made us work. That's the only way we were able to get where we did because we competed every day. We did it in a friendly environment and we all respected our coaches. I probably was the only rebel on the team. Competing is a huge part of being successful. My question is this. If you can't compete in today's sports, how do you win? How do you become a leader? How do you understand what brotherhood and teamwork are all about if you can't compete on a high level and then put that in the game?
TWEH: We had the 'Barn' rocking. What was special to you about Williams Arena?
BJ: The end of the 96' season was very important. What we did was build momentum and create a buzz in the 'Barn' for 96-97. Just the way we played and how intense we were. The fans appreciated the way we changed the game by picking up full court defensively. We created a buzz and people started coming. We had it electrified when we played at the 'Barn'. It was a special place to play.
TWEH: We beat Clemson early in the season in the 'San Juan Shootout'. When I talk to my friend Merl Code (shooting guard on that team) he always says that we were the only team that made them feel like they were in a physical war. They usually punished the other team. What do you remember about that game?
BJ: That game was probably the most physical game that I ever played in. Even though I had a great game, they made me work for everything. That Clemson team made me work the hardest on the court! They will always be a great memory, because we played them twice that year. Fortunately, we were able to beat them. They played team basketball and played physical.
TWEH: The UCLA game is a blur for me-lol. What were your thoughts going into that game?
BJ: What I remember about the U.C.L.A. game was the fact that all the critics said we didn't have a chance. I remember reading that and it pissed me off. They were the storied program with the rich tradition. So I was very motivated to beat them. However, they were very talented and played the game at a high level. Our physicality played a huge part in us wearing them down.
TWEH: That Kentucky game was a nightmare. I felt like I let us down in terms of the guard play and how many turnovers we had. That was uncharacteristic of us. We had I belive more than 20 turnovers. The funny thing about that game though, is that we cut it to about 6 with 2 to 3 minutes left. Coach Haskins made the returning team watch that game in the beginning of the 97'-98' season. You know how intense his film sessions were. Lol.
BJ: He made you guys watch it? Lol. Honestly, I watched that game a couple of weeks ago and I couldn't believe how much we turned it over. It was an apple turnover fest. It wasn't just one person-it was everybody. Being a coach now, I was looking at myself like 'how could you try to make that pass.' Like you said, we still had a chance to win that game. Hats off to Kentucky, they were a great team. We hadn't seen that style of play that whole year.
We all come from basketball rich States. Name your state's all time starting 5. (After some back and forth banter and debating, BJ finalized his list.)
BJ: Man that was a tough question. You made me really think about that one. If I sit down and think about all of the guys that played in the 'league', I could go on forever. I'll go with this 5 right now.
1. Steph Curry
2. MJ
3. Jerry Stackhouse
4. James Worthy
5. Charles Shackleford
TWEH: Here is where things get interesting. Speaking of Steph, how would you have guarded him?
BJ: That's tough. When I played, you could hold and grab. As well as use the arm bar. The rules are different now. I would pick up 94 feet and be physical with him. My goal would be to wear him down for the 4th quarter. Is he going to make shots-yes. It's ok to make shots in the first 3 quarters, but in the 4th, I need him to be worn down. No legs.
TWEH: You also have to go at Steph or any other great offensive player. You have to make them work and play defense. I know you didn't have a problem with being aggressive on the offensive end.
BJ: He wouldn't of guarded me. He would of had to guard somebody though. What I respect about him is that he does play defense. Not all the time, but he does give the effort. He's a great player that puts the work into his craft.
TWEH: What was the story behind the long socks? I still don't know.
BJ: Man it used to be cold in the Barn. So I needed those long socks to stay warm. Once I got to the league, I was used to it and it just stuck.
TWEH: What motivates you now BJ. What are you passionate about?
BJ: My kids motivate me now E. My goal is to be the best dad that I can. I do things with them and spend as much time as I can with my kids. The game of basketball has been great to me!
TWEH: Thx for your time B. It was great to talk about those great memories with you.
BJ: Thx E, it was fun. Appreciate you.
Bobby Jackson
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Eric Harris
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University of Minnesota
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