It didn’t take long for Mark Jackson to find a job. After he was let go by the Golden State Warriors following three consecutive playoff appearances, there was speculation that he might be a candidate to join the New York Knicks as coach.

Instead, Mark Jackson has returned to his old ESPN stomping grounds and will sit at the courtside broadcast table across from the seats where he used to coach for the past three seasons. Jackson will join his old NBA on ESPN partners, Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy for the Eastern Conference Finals this weekend and then continue to the NBA Finals in June. It will be a homecoming for Jackson who was previously with ESPN from 2006 through 2011.

Interestingly, it was ESPN NHL maven John Buccigross who broke the news on Twitter today.

ESPN Executive Vice President of Production and Programming John Wildhack says, “We’re thrilled to welcome Mark back to ESPN and for him to reunite with Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy – a three-person booth that was very popular and successful for us for several years.”

Jackson helped to stabilize an NBA on ESPN booth that had included Brad Nessler, Bill Walton, Tom Tolbert, Sean Elliott, Dan Majerle, George Karl, Al Michaels, Doc Rivers, Hubie Brown and others. Breen, Van Gundy and Jackson had good chemistry when they were together and there are plenty of reasons to think that they’ll be able to recapture the magic from their earlier days.

It won’t be long before fans will hear “Mama, there goes that man” again.

[ESPN]

About Ken Fang

Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013.

He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television.

Fang celebrates the four Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.