David Stern didn’t think it was funny to bet a joke between Mark Jackson and Charles Barkley while they were dueling all over the court.
On his eponymous podcast, Jackson recalled a now-humorous story that happened in 1990, when he was with the Knicks and Barkley was with the 76ers.
NBA basketball game against the Washington Bullets
Capital Center on February 22, 1990 Getty Images
“I’m not a natural scorer, but this was one of the days I could start doing that,” Jackson began.
“So, as the game goes on, I score, he scores, and we’re talking trash to each other. The game ends, we finally win, and the media runs towards me. It’s like, ‘What’s going on?’
“Charles Barkley said you bet on the game,” Jackson said, imitating a reporter’s voice.
“The next day, there was a headline in a New York newspaper saying that Jacks and Barkley had bet on the game,” he recalled.
Obviously, this angered Stern, a notoriously demanding commissioner.
“David Stern sent me a message: Charles Barkley and Mark Jackson, please come to our New York headquarters immediately,” Jackson continued.
“I’m in my second year. I’m like, ‘This is crazy.’ ”
Jackson said he and Barkley were one-upping each other on the court, joking and saying things like, “I’m gonna dunk on everybody.”
The two bet $500 on who would make the big play during the game. According to the LA Times.
Jackson remembers Stern saying, “There’s no betting on basketball. That’s not allowed. I’ll kick you guys out of the league. How can you even imply that you’re betting?”
Jackson said Stern told them he would leave his office for 15 minutes and come back with a decision, and the former Knicks guard wonders how this will affect his future. He says he is “in a panic” about this.
But Berkeley didn’t care.
“When the commissioner left the room, Charles Barkley looked at me and said, ‘I’m sure he won’t kick us out of the league,'” Jackson said with a laugh.
“I’m like, ‘This guy is crazy.'”
In the end, Jackson and Barkley were each fined $5,000 for the joke.
“I’m sure there’s nothing more going on here than an altercation between two friendly rivals, but I want to make this clear to Mr. Barkley and Mr. Jackson and everyone else in the NBA. That’s my responsibility,” Stern said at the time. When it comes to gambling, even the slightest amount of cheating is a serious problem. ”
