<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">April 25, 2006 -- For the first time, Pacers guard Stephen Jackson has claimed the Nets got rid of him after his productive rookie season in 2000-2001 because of his relationship with Stephon Marbury. Jackson, who shut down the Nets' Vince Carter in Game 1 of their playoff series, believed the Nets rooted out all things connected to Marbury. "It did [bother me] because I made the rookie all-star team," Jackson said after Pacers' practice at an Upper East Side health club. "I was in the top five in rookie scoring that year. It had more to do with basketball because I was doing my job. I think it had more to do with me hanging out with Marbury. The organization and Marbury were parting ways." It was guilt by association. "He was like my big brother," Jackson said of Marbury. "Took me under his wing, showed me a lot. I was with him all the time. Everything he did, I did. The team wasn't winning with Marbury. They wanted a clean slate." The Nets privately contend they cut Jackson because he reverted to making the same mistakes repeatedly on both ends. </div> Source
