Was Monty Williams' firing from Phoenix Suns racism? Stephen Jackson slammed for take

Did racism play a role in the Phoenix Suns' firing of former coach Monty Williams?

Former NBA player Stephen Jackson thinks so.

He recently slammed the Suns for Williams' dismissal on the I Am Athlete podcast, saying: "I didn't think they were gonna get rid of the coach. I think he was the right coach for the job, but you know how they do. When teams come together like this, they quick to go and find a white coach somewhere around, just throw him in that position so he can get all the credit. I don't care, yeah, I said it. They do it too much. Every time a Black coach comes into the league, he gets the worst team in the league to start his career off. Under .500, you've got a sorry team and his team won't win, so he's six years in coaching when he finally gets a star. In a situation like this, they'll always find a white coach somewhere around just like they did Steve Nash in Brooklyn, gonna throw him in the spot where the team is already together. I think Monty Williams is a great coach and that's why in the next day or two you're gonna see him coaching somewhere else. He should have been having that job. They did Monty wrong."

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Jackson's comments, however, didn't hold water with many people, who slammed the take in stories and on social media.

Larry Brown Sports poked holes in Jackson's argument.

Steve DelVecchio wrote: Jackson used the Brooklyn Nets as an example since they hired Steve Nash to coach Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and company. Of course, Durant had a previous relationship with Nash from the time the two spent working together with the Golden State Warriors. There were numerous reports that Durant played a big role in Brooklyn’s decision to hire Nash. Jackson obviously does not take that into consideration. He also conveniently failed to mention how Nick Nurse and Mike Budenholzer, white coaches who have both won NBA titles in recent years, were fired this offseason. There was a report that Durant and another Suns star who happens to be black may have played a role in the decision to move on from Williams. Jackson didn’t bring that up, either. The Suns may even be hoping to pry Ty Lue away from the Los Angeles Clippers. If that happens, Jackson’s point will look even more ridiculous."

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Fadeaway World also refuted Jackson's claim that racism played a role in Williams' dismissal.

Gautam Varier wrote: "That is a bold claim to make, but racism didn't really have a role in Williams being fired. There are a few reasons, with the first being the way the Suns have been knocked out of the playoffs the last two times. Getting blown out in back-to-back years in elimination games at home, first to Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks and then to Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, is a terrible look. If the Suns had kept it competitive against the Nuggets in Game 6, he might still have this job. The other reason is the new owner in Mat Ishbia, who would want his own coach after how the season ended. Ishbia wasn't the one who hired Williams and he'd want his own handpicked candidate to coach the team. It is unfortunate, but we see things of this nature happen quite often."

More: 6 candidates Phoenix Suns should consider to replace fired Monty Williams

Social media reaction to Stephen Jackson's Suns claim:

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Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Stephen Jackson slammed for Phoenix Suns' Monty Williams firing take