Retired NBA player and former Golden State Warriors shooting guard Stephen Jackson has confirmed that the Chicago Bulls are using Rajon Rondo and Jimmy Butler to recruit him. But aside from the Bulls, he also hinted that there might be a chance that he'll come out of retirement to re-join the Warriors next season.
Jackson officially announced his retirement from the NBA in July of last year, ending his 18-year stint in the league. During his career as a player, he helped the San Antonio Spurs win the championship in 2003 together with his teammates Tim Duncan and Steve Kerr, who is now the head coach of the Warriors.
Currently, Jackson is working as a sports analyst for ESPN. But as noted by the former professional player, there might be a chance that basketball fans will see him on the court next season. According to Jackson, the Bulls have been pursuing to sign him through Rondo and Butler, Chat Sports reported.
"Well, actually not a lot of people know that Jimmy has been calling me," he told Hoops Hype. "We've been talking for like three months now. Even Rondo has been calling me, they really want me on the Bulls team. I've been talking to a lot of guys, because guys know what I bring."
"There's not many guys like me," he added. "There's probably one or two guys in the NBA like me that can play both ways and don't mind shutting the guy down. I'm a winner, I've been in the playoffs many years."
It's probably not surprising that many teams are interested in signing Jackson primarily because of his veteran status and deep playoff experience. But aside from the Chicago organization, there's also a chance that Jackson could join Stephen Curry and the rest of the Warriors.
According to him, he has already spoken to his former teammate Kerr and has already showed him videos of him working out.
"I spoke to Steve Kerr, who is a great friend of mine," he said. "We won a championship together in 2003 and he's seen videos of me working out, he's seen videos of me playing. He knows how I approach the game, that I play with great passions. So he knows I can still play."
Despite this, Jackson noted that he has not yet negotiations the deals of his comeback with anyone yet. Still, given his statements, it seems Jackson is looking to come out of retirement and become an NBA player again.
