Former Spurs champion says rejecting San Antonio's $10M offer was a huge mistake

Stephen Jackson's NBA career didn't begin exactly as he had envisioned, but the San Antonio Spurs quickly recognized his value as a reliable two-way wing. The organization believed Jackson had the tools to defend multiple positions while providing timely outside shooting alongside Tim Duncan.

After injuries limited him for most of the 2001-02 season, Jackson enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2002-03. Former Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich inserted him into the starting lineup, and the move paid off. Jackson averaged 12.8 points per game during the playoff, playing a key role in San Antonio's championship run.

Following that title-winning season, Jackson believed he had earned a significant payday. He was confident that he was emerging as one of the league's rising stars and declined the Spurs' three-year, $10 million contract offer in hopes of securing a larger deal elsewhere.

Looking back, Jackson admits he would make a different decision.

“I wanted my big contract,” Jackson said in “All The Smoke” podcast. “I felt like I deserved a big contract… If I could rewind back, I would have took that three-year, $10 million… I would have been on a championship team.”

Passing on the Spurs’ offer was a gamble, but Jackson eventually recovered financially. A breakout stint with the Atlanta Hawks helped boost his value, and later trades throughout his career allowed him to earn considerably more than the contract he originally turned down.

However, Jackson believes the biggest cost wasn't financial, instead, it was the championships he may have missed.

“I probably won two more championships, then I would have got a crazy bag,” Jackson said. “I didn’t understand the business at the time, so I was upset with them not getting my bag.”

If Jackson accepted the three-year extension, he would have remained with the Spurs from 2003 through 2006, staying alongside Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker during one of the most dominant stretches of San Antonio's dynasty. 

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