Phoenix Suns rookie Josh Jackson caused quite a stir when he recently described himself as least like Stephen Curry and called the two-time MVP “small and unathletic.”
After getting some grief on Twitter for those comments, Jackson explained exactly why he said what he said. Apparently, it’s just a matter of semantics, as Jackson came out with his definition of an athletic guy, which Curry didn’t fit.
Man y'all make a story out of anything 🤦🏾♂️😂 my definition of athletic is a guy who flies through the lane and plays above the rim 🤷🏾♂️
— Josh Jackson (@j_josh11) September 29, 2017




It’s not hard to believe that Jackson really did have that definition of “athletic” in mind when he said Curry was unathletic. He's also right that Curry's not someone who plays above the rim.
However, his definition of athletic players as merely explosive, high-flying dunkers is way too narrow. There are other qualities that come with athleticism, such as speed, quickness, coordination, agility, balance — qualities which Stephen Curry has shown en route to being one of the best players in the NBA.
While Jackson is likely telling the truth when he says his comments were misunderstood, he still has to take some responsibility for failing to acknowledge that his definition of “athletic” is not entirely accurate.