In a bit of terrible news on the doorstep of the 2012 NBA Draft as The Smoking Gun is reporting that Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson has been targeted for extortion over an alleged extramarrital affair with an ex-stripper over six years ago.
Make the jump for more information.
Per the San Jose Mercury News:
Jackson reportedly helped the FBI stop the scheme that resulted in the arrests this week of former New York club dancer Alexis Adams and ex-convict Marcus Shaw, who threatened to reveal the affair and compromising photos Jackson sent of himself to Adams.
The Smoking Gun reported that Jackson, who has been married for 22 years, began an affair with Adams around six years ago while Jackson was an announcer for the New Jersey Nets. Adams confronted Jackson while the Warriors were in Memphis in April, the report said. Jackson reportedly paid $5,000 to Adams but the pair then contacted Jackson's wife while demanding a "six-figure payment" from the Warriors coach.
Adams, 28, and Shaw, 40, were named in felony criminal complaints filed under seal in U.S. District Court in Oakland.
Jackson is entering just his second season as an NBA coach, and the last thing he needs at this time are off-court distractions at a time like this. The team released a statement in which they noted their full support for Coach Jackson, and that they have no more comments at this time do to the legal nature of all of this.
A father of four, Jackson has been married for going on 22 years to singer Desiree Coleman, with whom he serves as co-pastor of the True Love Worship Center in Van Nuys, CA. Hopefully the Warriors and Coach Jackson can get this under control sooner than later.
For more on the Warriors, make sure to check out Golden State of Mind.