Jerry Stackhouse Talks NBA Playoffs, Coaching Future, MJ & More with Rich

Jerry Stackhouse joined Rich from Atlanta with two interviews on his calendar and a Conference Finals breakdown that ran on both sides of the bracket.

The basketball came first. Stackhouse, who spent the last two seasons on Steve Kerr's staff with the Golden State Warriors, called Victor Wembanyama "one of one" in the league. He compared the public stories around Wilt Chamberlain to what he is watching from Wemby, except Wilt was not pulling up from 35 feet to tie playoff games at the buzzer.

"With that length, that skill, the competitiveness that he plays with," Stackhouse said. "Seems to be a great teammate, says all the right things and is about all the right things."

The tactical case Stackhouse made for OKC's Game 2 win was Isaiah Hartenstein. Stackhouse called Hartenstein "the difference in that game." He acknowledged Hartenstein's tactics were "a little tacky in some sense" but said winning a Conference Finals requires whatever it takes. He expects Hartenstein to bring the same approach in Game 3 in San Antonio.

Stackhouse pushed back on the officiating panic. Playoff games, he said, get officiated differently than the regular season, and they should. He pointed to a late-series Pistons-Pacers moment where Tony Brothers swallowed a whistle on a borderline play, and Stackhouse approved.

"Let's line up," Stackhouse said. "Both teams have worked too hard to get to this point to allow that type of play to end the game."

On the Eastern Conference Finals, Stackhouse offered an inside read on what Cleveland faces in the Garden. He noted he never played a playoff series there but had played plenty of games there.

"The energy in that building is palpable," he said. "Now they have to go on the road and do those same things. The same shots that Evan Mobley gets tonight, he probably knocks down." Routine matters. Slept in your own bed. Same routine. That contributes to the home-team comfort advantage that show up in shooting percentages.

The personal half of the conversation was the coaching path. Stackhouse interviews for the Chicago Bulls job this week and the Portland Trail Blazers job tomorrow. He was open about what happened at Vanderbilt, his last head coaching stop, and equally open about why he believes he is the right NBA hire.

"It was a rebuild," Stackhouse said of his Vanderbilt years. The job started before NIL and the transfer portal had reshaped college recruiting. He brought in a brand-new roster of players who had to sit out a year. The program made two NITs, finished fourth in the SEC in his fourth year, and then had one down year that ended his tenure.

"I think people were able to see the growth, especially on the development side," he said. He pointed to his ability to teach the game and relate to Generation Z players as why NBA front offices keep calling.

The thread running through every coaching answer was Dean Smith.

"His principles of what he taught me when I was at North Carolina still resonate through and through with how I want to teach the game," Stackhouse said. Playing smart. Playing unselfishly. Competing at a high level. He also credited Rick Carlisle and Avery Johnson as coaches he learned from at the pro level.

The Rasheed Wallace stories came next. Rasheed, in Stackhouse's UNC days, was "probably the most unselfish player that I've ever played with," a wing who needed teammates to talk him into shooting more, despite being one of the most talented players Stackhouse ever shared a roster with.

The Michael Jordan stories were the centerpiece. Stackhouse confirmed the famous return to Chapel Hill practices, including one extended one-on-one session in which Jordan dared Stackhouse to shoot a jumper that Stackhouse was not interested in attempting.

The bigger Jordan thread was Stackhouse's awkward final year with him in Washington. Jordan signed Stackhouse from Detroit, then made it clear in his final NBA season that he still believed he was the best option on the floor. Stackhouse refused to take offense. He called Jordan the GOAT and described their off-court relationship, which involved poker games and shared wine, as the part that mattered most.

"To me, he's the GOAT," Stackhouse said. "He's the best basketball player to ever wear a pair of shoes."

Larry Brown reached out to Stackhouse about the UNC head coaching job that ultimately went to Mike Malone. Stackhouse said Brown told him directly that this was his time. The job did not break his way. Stackhouse said he is disappointed but not despondent. The Carolina head-coaching dream remains open for a future cycle.

Rich, for his close, made one specific request. If Stackhouse lands an NBA head coaching job, he wants the Vanderbilt Easter Sunday looks on the bench.

"My mom is a minister," Stackhouse said. "I'mma honor her. If I'm able to coach at that level, wherever I'm at on Sundays, I'm going to have on one of those looks."

Rich is already setting reminders.