Jackson has been stewing for weeks, making it clear and public that he wants the Warriors to trade him. Nice strategy, by the way: Clamor to be traded, thereby drastically decreasing your trade value.

He returned to the Warriors on Tuesday after a two-game team suspension, meeting with coach Don Nelson and general manager Larry Riley before practice. When Nelson talked to a large group of media in the early afternoon, he was happy.

"The prodigal son has returned," said a smiling Nelson. "It's good to have Jack back."

Nelson also said, "He's going to be the same guy."

But when it was Jackson's turn with the media, he seemed like a very different guy, not the positive and good-humored captain many of us have grown to know and like. To say Jackson seemed bitter Tuesday is to say that the day seemed a bit moist.

I'm checking with sources to see if Jackson and Nelson attended the same meeting.

Jackson swore he will play hard, but this is how he expressed it:

"Whether I'm being mistreated or not, I still have to go out and play Basketball."

He also said, "I have to listen to Nelson on the court, and that's it."

Sounds like a formula for success, doesn't it? Anyone who doesn't hear a ticking time bomb here needs a new hearing-aid battery.

By the way, let's examine that word "mistreated." About a year ago, Nelson sat down with Jackson and said, basically, "We're going to go through some painful rebuilding here, Jack. If you don't want to slog through it with us, I'll be happy to trade you to a contender."

Jackson said no, he wanted to stay. By the craziest coincidence, Warriors President Robert Rowell was in the process of working out a massive four-year contract extension for Jackson.

Jackson signed the fat new deal, then start making noise about wanting to be traded.

Maybe it's time for Stack Jack to take some responsibility for his current hostage status.

He keeps saying, "My whole thing is winning."

If I hear that one more time, I will barf on my shoes.

Jackson's whole thing is cashing in. Now that he has taken care of that, he can turn his attention to winning. Or leaving, so he can win elsewhere.

Jackson insists his desire to be gone won't affect his play, but one might suspect that his grumpiness at being stuck with the Warriors contributed to his blow-up against the Lakers.

Maybe Jackson needs a captain to pull him aside and help him through the crisis. Nah. Jackson said of being a team captain, "It's a title and it's overrated."

Odd. When Nelson offered the captain's job to Jackson before the 2007-08 season, the swingman was so deeply moved that he actually celebrated with Champagne. Jackson said he was deeply honored. He was being recognized as a leader, he was being accorded the respect that he had been working hard to earn.

A ceremonial job? Nelson spoke frequently with Jackson on team matters, sought his opinions. There were times when Nelson needed to get a message to a player and thought it would be better received from Jackson. The coach and captain worked together.

Now they work apart, barely speaking.

And now it has come down to an exchange of schoolyard taunts. Jackson brags about how much he has done to raise the Warriors to respectability, and the Warriors' management counters that the team revived Jackson's reputation and career.

Both sides are right, but it's petty scorekeeping, with no winner.

When Jackson came to the Warriors , he was a breath of fresh air. He's a man with a sense of humor, depth and character. He got his nickname handing out stacks of jack to folks back in his hard-times hometown. He has built a school.

Jackson is blessed with no small amount of charisma and style. When asked a question, he would do still does something very unusual: Look the questioner in the eye and give a real answer. He chooses not to spout cliches, or be one. He wants to be special.

And he was, a true team leader. The players respected Baron Davis, but they loved Captain Jack. He knows how to make a team a team.

Now he wants out. Maybe a buyout? Don't count on it. Stack Jack didn't come cheap, and he won't go away cheap.