Phoenix, AZ – If your like many, you’ve been waiting – and waiting – on Phoenix Suns forward, and fourth overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft, Josh Jackson, to have a much bigger impact on the court. This past Wednesday, February 27th, Jackson had fans waiting on his impact off the court as well.
The 22-year-old forward was slated for a meet-and-greet at a grocery store in Scottsdale, Arizona that would have given fans an opportunity to get autographs, pictures, and two free tickets to a future home game. To take part in the event all fans needed to do was purchase a 12-pack of Dos Equis. Jackson never showed.
To be fair, we know nothing of Josh Jackson’s schedule or things he may have going on his personal life. To avoid a rush to judgement we waited for a statement. What came first was a fine. A fine of $20k to be exact. Now while that won’t begin to make Jackson’s wallet any lighter, what it does do is point the finger solely at Jackson – especially when the news of a fine is made public. Since arriving in the desert, Jackson has shown nothing but good character. Had this public relations hiccup happened at any time other than immediately after a scathing report from ESPN’s, Adrian Wojnarowski, criticizing the Suns front office, this may have gotten little to no attention.
Today, Jackson would elaborate on why he missed the event. “I got a phone call like right before the event was supposed to start,” Jackson said. “I had to rush over to my mom’s place. Really wish I could’ve been there, but I couldn’t. I don’t think you’re going to schedule something and not just show up. If I could’ve been there, I really would have.”
Whether it be a simple mistake by a young man with a busy schedule or a blatant disregard for the failing leadership within the organization, Wednesday’s events sum up the Phoenix Suns franchise as of late. To make sure the evening wasn’t a total loss, Suns General Manager and former player, James Jones, arrived on scene to provide waiting fans with free beer and tickets to a future home game.
Free beer and basketball is always nice, but it will do little to distract fans from the fact that this team has somehow gotten worse since selecting potential superstar, DeAndre Ayton, first overall in last year’s draft. Their 12-50 record has many fans wondering if the Suns will ever rise in Phoenix again.
