Sorry for the delay, the news of Don Nelson’s impending extension got in the way. Please note that this Q&A came before news of Nelson’s deal broke, so they “do you want to be here without Nellie” line of questioning made more sense.

– Geoff

48minutes.net: Are you concerned about hitching your wagon to a team where the executive vice president (Chris Mullin) and the coach (Don Nelson) may not be here beyond this season?

Stephen Jackson: Well, that’s things I can’t control. I can control…

48minutes.net: But you could control it by saying, “You know what? I’m going to play out my deal and see what’s out there and see what situation two years from now best fits me.”

SJ: I’m one of those guys that focus on the situation at hand. I’m here now, so I’m going to plan on being here. I can speak on the coach situation: I would love to play for Nellie until I retire. That’s no question. I would love for him to be here as long as I am here. That’s a given. He’s the best coach and my favorite coach I’ve played for since I’ve been in the league.

I really don’t know the other situation. I respect Chris as being a player, because he laid the concrete for a lot of guys like me to be in this league, so I have respect for him, but I really don’t know the situation. But with coach, I definitely hope his stuff goes well because he deserves it, he has some of the most wins ever and is one of the best coaches in the league and I want to be here with him. So I definitely don’t mind speaking on coach’s situation.

48minutes.net: That’s what I mean – if Nellie doesn’t come back and the coach ends up being someone you clash with, why tie yourself down when you don’t know who that guy might be?

SJ: Well, being 30 years old, at this point it’s not about worrying where I’m going to be, it’s worrying about security. I’ve had a great contract and I’m fine. If I stopped playing right now, I’d be living great for the rest of my life. But at the same time, knowing that I have at least five or six more years, whatever the Lord blesses me with, however many more years I can play, I’m kind of at the point where I can deal with anything. I’m at the point where I’m tired of bouncing around. I’ve had a lot of success since I’ve been here. No organization has supported me, on or off the court, like the Warriors have. So if it’s not broke, why fix it? If the situation didn’t work with coach, then I would start thinking that.

48minutes.net: You and Bobby (Rowell, the Warriors’ president) have a very good relationship, probably the best of any player in the locker room. Does that make it tough to negotiate with him, with that friendship on the line?

SJ: It’s not difficult, but at the same time, it’s a friend and business relationship, and sometimes friends and business don’t work. But me and Bobby being such good friends, it works because I’m not dependent on that. What I depend on is what I do on the court. And that’s why he respects me as a player and I respect him as a president. I don’t really expect him to just give me my extension because we have a good relationship. I want him to give me my extension because I earned it. He understands that and I understand that. I don’t expect anything free. I don’t give him any information or do anything that I’m not supposed to do just to get my extension. Bobby knows I like to earn everything I have, and I have my whole life. That’s the relationship we have. But at the same time, our friendship is not really determined on if I get my extension or what I do for him. That’s not our friendship. Our friendship is more based on him being proud of me from how I came here and turned my whole career around as to the way people look at me. And how they supported me with my school, that’s the friendship with have. It’s more of me changing my life and becoming more of a man and doing the right things as far as me playing basketball.

48minutes.net: Some people would argue Matt Barnes earned something more than a 1-year contract after 2006-07. He didn’t get it. Do you look at any of these hard-nosed negotiations with any worry about your situation?

SJ: No, because every situation’s different. Every player’s different.

48minutes.net: You’re worth more than Matt?

SJ: I’m not going to say that, but I contributed more. The team depended on me more. I think my situation and Matt’s situation are totally different because we’re two different types of players: A was a starter, and he was a sixth man. . . . Our situations were different because of our roles on the team. I would think if he was a star, if he was expected to get 18, 19 points a night, I think the contract situation would have been easier for him. But he was a guy that we relied on for energy and to come off the bench and give us a spark. Things happen in due time for everybody. Just like I said, I didn’t get my contract off winning that championship. I went to Atlanta, I busted my ass a year, and ended up getting it in Indiana. If guys just worry about playing basketball, the contract stuff will happen. It’s been successful for me my whole career. I’ve never been a guy that’s been in the papers talking about my contract all the time, (saying) “I’m holding out,” nothing like that. I just play basketball and God has taken care of me because I respect the game. That’s the difference between me and a lot of guys.

48minutes.net: What happens if we get to Oct. 29 (Opening Night) and you don’t have a deal?

SJ: You won’t hear me say nothing about it, especially during the season, because that would be a distraction to me. And I don’t want that to affect my play. Because at the end of the day, your play pays your checks. Your play gets you paid. So I’m going to go out there and play, man, and just leave it in God’s hands, like I always have.

48minutes.net: Would it be disappointing to you?

SJ: No, because it will happen eventually. There’s a saying in the Bible that I was raised on: “God may not come when you want him, but he’s right on time.” I always live by that. Even when I went overseas and got cut by all these teams, when it was time for me, when I was ready to focus and approach the game as a professional, and not just think it was pickup basketball, I got a job with New Jersey (in 2000). It might not come when I want it, but it’s going to happen. I feel confident in that.