"Lies have got to stop" - Mark Jackson gives stern clarification after rumors of him losing MSG job and Knicks plane ban surface

Earlier this week, Mark Jackson was informed that he was no longer employed as an announcer for MSG network. The former player and coach recently took to social media to set the record straight.

After being fired by ESPN over the summer, MSG network brought in Mark Jackson to be a fill-in announcer for Clyde Drexler. However, this position was short-lived due to a conflict one of the Knicks' assistant coaches has with Jackson.

Following his second firing in the last few months, Jackson went on social media to share his thoughts on how things have unfolded. He stated that this story is fabricated and that he turned down the opportunity to be an announcer for New York Knicks games.

"At some point, the lies have got to stop," Jackson said. "Over a week ago, I turned that job down. More than a week ago, I turned the job down due to the fact that it wasn't the ideal conditions and it wasn't the ideal time for me."

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Mark Jackson reportedly has conflict with one of Knicks' coaches

According to reports, part of what led to this unfolding was that Mark Jackson wasn't allowed to fly on the New York Knicks' charter plane or stay in the team hotel. Typically, these practices are customary for announcers to be with the team, though with minimal interaction.

Jackson reportedly wasn't granted this because of a previous conflict with an assistant coach on the Knicks. Before becoming an NBA announcer, Jackson was the head coach of the Golden State Warriors.

During his time as Warriors coach, Jackson fired Darren Erman. He has since gone on to become an assistant coach for the Knicks. At that time, it was reported that Erman was fired for filming Jackson along with Warriors players without their knowledge. Not long after Jackson fired Erman, Golden State moved on from him in place of Steve Kerr.

Jackson could have still been an annoucner for the Knicks but would have had to put in some extra work. Since he was denied access to travel with the team, he would have been forced to book his own flights and hotels during road trips.

Jackson's playing career actually began with the Knicks when they drafted him in 1987. He went on the play five seasons for them, being named an All-Star in just his second year. To this day, he is still second all-time in Knicks' history in assists, with 4005.