“I never met a dollar that could change me. Been the same guy since day one. I do what I do.” Stephen Jackson told ESPN that in 2012. He added, “I drink like I want to. I do what I want to. I’m who I am.” That clarity about himself is what defines him. Through fame and fire, his loyalty never wavered. That same loyalty once drove him to leap into the stands during the “Malice at the Palace.” Why? “So when Ron went into the stands, I didn’t think twice about it because he was my brother.” While he definitely felt some pinch because of the $3M fine, he would do the same if he had to.

But loyalty didn’t stop with the Malice at the Palace. Two years later, in Indiana, it led to another infamous moment. During training camp, the team visited a strip club. As they were leaving, chaos broke out. Jackson saw men chasing teammate Jamal Tinsley and reacted fast. “I end up letting a couple shots off in the air,” he said. While trying to break up the scuffle, a man in a car hit him! “He knocks all my teeth out, all my gums, and stuff with my lips shattered.” Jackson still got up, driven by adrenaline, unaware of how hurt he was. That night, Jackson went into survival mode.

Disoriented, he tried to chase the driver. “I just snap out of it, come grab my gun, start shooting at him.” He later passed out and woke up in a police car in handcuffs. “My mouth is shattered, blood everywhere, my teeth gone.” His teammate Marquise Daniels kicked the door, fearing Jackson was dying. “I didn’t remember nothing for a second,” he said. Even after the police let them go, Jackson was: “I’m ready to go spray something up,” he admitted. But Jermaine O’Neal pulled up and stopped him, saying, “Jack, I feel everything you saying. I’m mad too, but I’m looking at your mouth. You have to go to the hospital.” That’s when the pain truly hit.

Jackson described the two-hour plastic surgery with haunting detail. “I had to have plastic surgery on my lips and my mouth for 2 hours with no anesthesia.” His lips were too swollen for numbing, so he felt every second. “They ripping skin out my gums, uh, debris out my gums, cutting skin off my lips, trying to stitch it up.” At one point, the surgeon paused to say, “Sorry, I’m so sorry, Mr. Jackson, but I’m done.” But that wasn’t easy.

His coach, Rick Carlisle, held one hand, and his wife held the other. Jackson then slept through hours of MRIs, his body exhausted from the trauma. “Worst pain ever in my life… from permanent scar to this day.” For that night, he got probation, a $5,000 fine, community service, and a seven-game suspension. So, was it worth it? Jackson never directly says. But for a man who’s always been the same, loyalty never needed to be justified.

Why Stephen Jackson would split his paycheck for loyalty

Stephen Jackson has never treated loyalty like a buzzword. To him, it’s currency, and he spends it without hesitation. During the opening week of the Big3 in Chicago, Jackson didn’t just praise the league’s rise. He made headlines by offering something very few ever would: his own paycheck. The moment happened on the All The Smoke podcast, as Jackson turned to Vernon Maxwell and said, “Max, you got to make some games.” That single line sparked a plan that felt as genuine as it was unexpected.

Maxwell didn’t hesitate, answering back with a laugh, “Oh man, you know I’m coming to f—- with you, Jack.” But this wasn’t just friendly banter. Jackson took it a step further, proposing, “You coming? ‘Cause I’ll f—- around and get Cube to allow you to be my assistant coach.” Max gave the green light instantly: “Hey, there it is. Let’s do it then. Come on now, I’m doing it alright!” In that moment, what started as casual talk turned into a serious plan.

Then came the part that shocked the fans. Jackson didn’t wait for a budget. He offered to make it happen himself. “I even split my check with you where they don’t even have to pay you,” he told Maxwell. And Max, clearly moved, lit up: “Cube, you hear what the f—k he said! Let’s make it happen, baby boy!” That kind of sacrifice for a friend? Rare. But for Jackson, it’s just who he is: someone who shows up for the people he believes in.

Soon after, Big3 made it official. Their Instagram page posted: “The unstoppable duo of @stak5 and @vernmonmaxwell11 are joining forces to bring home a championship ring to @big3.trilogy.” And with this announcement, Jackson got his wish. Maxwell joined him as assistant coach, sealing the deal with nothing but respect and loyalty.

With this, Jackson once again showed just how far he is willing to go for people he cares about. With him and Maxwell at the helm of Trilogy, BIG3 is sure to bring some great moments for the fans.