72. Mark Jackson
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When you ask a casual fan on the street who is the second all-time assists leader they’d likely say Magic Johnson; but they’d be wrong. For it is Mark Jackson who over took Magic in 2003 to become the second all-time leading assists man in the NBA. Jackson was a solid point guard during an era when star point guards were abundant and yet somehow managed to always rank high in the traditional point guard categories of assists and steals but was often overlooked.
Jackson grew up in Brooklyn, New York and his early basketball live would be played in the New York City area. He attended near by St Johns University where he had a solid career. He really broke onto the college basketball scene his senior year by averaging 19 points and 6 assists. He played 131 career games at St Johns averaging 10 points and 6 assists.
The New York Knicks drafted Jackson with the 18th pick in the 1987 NBA draft. Jackson would become an immediate starter averaging 14 points and 11 assists a game and winning rookie of the year honors. Jackson averaged a career high 17 points a game his second season and was selected to the all-star game, his only all-star game of his career.
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With the addition of Rod Strickland, Jackson saw his minutes diminish but he continued to put up respectable numbers on some very good Knicks teams. He lost the starting job in 1990-91 only to regain it the following season, but because of the minutes thing and losing his starting job Jackson became upset at the Knicks and asked to be traded. He was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in a three team deal.
The Clippers gave Jackson a new lease on life and he once again began to be recognized as one of the better point guards in the NBA. He also was part of a group of players who made the Clippers a respectable team in the NBA and they made consecutive playoff appearances for the only time since moving from Buffalo in 1979.
Jackson played only two season with the Clippers before being traded to the Indiana Pacers. Jackson had some decent seasons in the backcourt with Reggie Miller and the Pacers almost made the finals a couple of times with the two. In 1997 Jackson split time between to the Pacers and Denver Nuggets and despite having two sets of teammates he was able to lead the NBA in assists with a career high 11 a game that season.
Jackson’s stint with the Denver Nuggets lasted all of 52 games before he was traded once again back to the Indiana Pacers. Jackson would played three solid years with the Pacers and help them reach their only NBA finals in 2000. After the 2000 finals Jackson signed with the Toronto Raptors where he played only 54 games before being traded back to the Knicks.
The Knicks at this time were run by Isiah Thomas who was acquiring anyone with any sort of name in the NBA and often giving up much more than what he got in return. Jackson played a season and a half for the Knicks before Thomas traded him to the Denver Nuggets. He never played for the Nuggets in his second tenure there instead opted to receive a buyout.
Upon being bought out by the Nuggets Jackson signed with the Utah Jazz for one season. He served as John Stockton’s backup appearing in all 82 games and marking the only time in his career that Jackson did not start a game in a season. In a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers Jackson became the games second all-time leading assist man behind teammate John Stockton. Following the season the Jazz roster disintegrated and Jackson left to sign with the Rockets.
Jackson played only a half season with the Rockets appearing in 43 games before he retired from the NBA. In 1,296 career games Jackson had averages of 11 points and 9.5 assists.
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