Tuesday, September 14th, 2010 at 10:50 am  |  81 responses

For Old Time’s Sake: Mark Jackson

Want to learn how to pass the rock? Study Mark Jackson. Born and bred in Brooklyn, NY, Jackson was a street legend, high school star, collegiate standout and first round draft pick. He was drafted by his hometown Knicks with the 18th overall pick in 1987 after lighting up the Big East at St. John’s. As a rookie Jackson averaged 13.6 pts, 10.6 assists and won ROY. With Ewing and Oakley by his side, Jackson helped make the Knicks a perennial playoff contender. In ’92 he was traded to the Clippers for Charles Smith and Doc Rivers and helped lead the Clips to a few playoff births in the 90s. He was later traded to the Pacers, teaming up with Reggie Miller to make one of the most lethal backcourts in the NBA. We all know of the epic Playoff battles between the Knicks and Pacers when beating New York meant everything to Jackson. They did trade him after all… Shout out to Kevin for sending in this dope mix and shout out to Ben Osborne, SLAM’s Editor-in-Chief and Mark Jackson’s #1 fan.

@Schneezy

For more old school videos, check out SLAMtv in the Media section.

Have an old school video you wants to see in FOTS? Send the video link to slamteam@harris-pub.com.

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  • http://screwjams.tumblr.com cramzy

    I need him and van gundy back in my life. Cmon November!

  • Darius

    The song choice with this video wasnt any good but I like the dance Jackson is doin at the end

  • JTaylor21

    DAMN, 14/11 as a rookie that’s downright filthy. Dude is a TOP-10 point of all-time and one of the best passer of all-time. Though other PGs have better APG numbers, he played at a high level for a longer period of time.

  • ClippuM42

    it was called the jackson jiggle @darius…

  • larrylegend

    unorthodox player, love his style of play. can anyone confirm, that one of his nicknames was turtle? ben?

  • Papa Smurf

    Love Mark Jackson. Great FOTS.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Todd Spehr

    Most assists for a rookie ever in ’88, breaking Oscar Robertson’s record.

  • Overtime

    Over 10 assists as rook, amazing.
    And cosign Cramzy, Jackson + Van Gundy are BY FAR best commenting duo out there

  • hammer

    I’ll take marv albert and the czar ANY day over breen,jackson and gundy. Marc jackson was a gr8 player but just so-so as a commentator. Van gundy @ times don’t know what the hell he’s talking about. The hell w/nba on abc. Tnt does the best coverage even tho there only on thurs. Which kinda sucks. Wish they were on more like back n the day when they had the nba bout 3x’s a week

  • JTaylor21

    @Overtime, those guys are cool but I rather listen to McHale/CWebb any day. They are funnier and have more knowledge of the game.

  • JTaylor21

    Also shout outs to the GREATEST commentator of all-time; Mr. Hubie Brown. It’s a joy listening to him breakdown the action during a game.

  • Jay c

    Mama there goes that man

  • larrylegend

    @JTaylor: maybe kevin has more knowledge, but he has trouble, expressing it. Top 3 Commentators in no particular order:
    hubie
    marv
    walton

  • http://slamonline.com Ben Osborne

    First off, as some of you know, this is my favorite player ever. I was harrassing Schneezy for a long time to get Mark in FOTS, and I’m certainly proud to see him here. HOWEVER, this mix barely scratches the surface. The Mark that played for the Nuggets, Raptors and round 2 with the Knicks was a shell of his early self. Even with the Pacers he’d become more of a leader/role model than the all-star-level baller he was years 1 and 2 with the Knicks and his first year with the Clippers. Maybe if I have time I’ll look for more highlights of him online. The Mark in those days was an even bigger hotdog, could dunk (once through a bounce-pass alley-oop to himself for a dunk as a Clipper, and once dunked on Scottie Pippen as a Knick)and was really the sickest passer I’ve ever seen. Just a joy to watch play. And @larrylegend, The Turtle was not one of his nicknames, but it was a pretty apt description and it was the headline of the feature I did on Mark in SLAM #25 (the only feature he’s ever had in SLAM). The name fit not only because he was slow, but because his career was a lesson in perseverance (he was the 4th-ranked point guard in NEW YORK CITY as a senior in HS and retired as 2nd ALL-TIME in NBA History in assists. Remarkable.)

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    I forgot how flashy Jackson was back in the day.

  • http://slamonline.com Ben Osborne

    @darrius, @clippU: Mark actually called it the shimmy, but he did way better stuff early in his career, like the airplane!

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    And I also vote for Hubie Brown as the best commentator in the business.
    However, for hometown folks, I like the cats who do the Warriors games and Heat games, along with the cat who does the Hornets radio broadcast.

  • http://slamonline.com Ben Osborne

    Also, my Twitter avatar (@bosborne17) shows his reaction to being drafted.

  • http://slamonline.com Ben Osborne

    @Allenp: his flashiness was off the charts. Here’s a mix that captures his early days. Even better than the one above (or at least a better indication of how a young kid growing up in New York could make this dude his favorite player): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv9ZE-KY4Iw

  • http://slamonline.com Ben Osborne
  • http://slamonline.com Ben Osborne

    Sorry, the second one Schneezy posted was good.

  • http://slamonline.com Schneezy

    2nd video highlights the younger “Turtle”. Good Suggestion.

  • hammer

    Pip got the best of mark n 98 playofss tho. Tanacious d on him. A thing of beuty how he harassed mark. @ times u could tell mark didn’t know what 2 do

  • http://slamonline.com Ben Osborne

    Like I said, Hammer, by 98 Mark had been in the League more than a decade! He was certainly no match for Pippen (ironically enough, Pip was tied with Michael Jordan as my second-favorite player back then)

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Mark doesn’t get credit for making the most of a severe lack of physical ability. I mean, dude was slow even when he was young, and wasn’t a great shooter, so his ability to get to the league and stay there is really something.

  • Papa Smurf

    Ben, your excuse is a bit weak – given the fact that Pippen had been in the league for just as long. Still, I was a big fan of both players. Pippen was the greatest defensive player I’ve ever seen. And Jackson was one of the most enjoyable players to watch.

  • http://slamonline.com Ben Osborne

    one million percent cosign of what Allenp just wrote

  • http://slamonline.com Ben Osborne

    @papa smurf: of course, Pippen could’ve locked down Mark at any point. We’re talking about one of the greatest defenders ever, who stood 6-8, against a slow, 6-3 point guard. I’m just saying Mark was at least a little more athletic/dynamic earlier in his career.

  • Overtime

    @ Jtaylor, No shame in that, im biggest C-Webb fan, I do find that Hubie Brown’s knowledge is the deepest and most interesting.
    I just like the Van Gundy/ Jackson combo. Not forgetting the great play by play guys. Mr Mike Breen for example

  • larrylegend

    thanks ben, as u see, some great articles just stay on my mind, even i mix some up, lol. i am about to change my (annoying) nick here on SLAM to “turtle”, not only as tribute to action jackson, more because my game is like a turtle over the last 15 years. anyway, always a pleasure, seeing guys relaying more on their brain, than on their physical abilities.

  • hammer

    Co-sign papa smurf

  • larrylegend
  • Yann Blavec

    The Knicks could have kept him (and Rod Strickland) Maybe they would have had a chance against the Bulls in the 90′s.

  • http://dsjkfl.com Jukai

    Highly highly highly underrated

  • http://google c_cantrell

    the most underrated point of all time

  • http://dsjkfl.com Jukai

    I always get upset when people put this dude on the level of Rod Strickland and Mark Price.
    Mark Jackson was pure greatness

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    The most?
    Nah, I don’t think so. What he was was a great passer, who developed into a passable shooter, who had a reliable post game, spotty defense and a lot of attitude. Don’t forget inteligence.
    I think he’s correctly rated, and his status might, just might, be a little inflated because of his assist totals.
    While I don’t think he gets enough credit for being very, very smart, I do think he gets enough overall respect around the league considering all the deficiencies in his game.

  • http://slamonline BossTerry

    VERY underrated point..

  • chrisneww

    not too hard on the eyes either. ;)

  • PapaBearATL

    Very exciting to watch, an example of how to make everyone on your team, that much better. Underated, I don’t think so, undercredited would be a much better description. Great b-ball IQ, added a little streetball flair to the League without making it campy or over the top, gotta love it!

  • WolfNast

    90′s was by far the best decade in the NBA

  • http://google c_cantrell

    i cant think of a more underrated point ever

  • arjae828

    @allen p…think about the description you just gave…great passer, really smart, passable shooter…don’t those adjectives bring j.kidd to mind? very similiar players. gotta think that fact alone makes him underrated. or maybe j.kidd’s overrated too? gotta admit i’m a fan, but i hate that he’s considered ahead of the glove.

  • JTaylor21

    @Yann Blavec, having 2 point guards at the same time would not be wise when playing the bulls. @WolfNast, the 90s was great but chill out the best decade by far crap. @Cantrell you’re VERY right my friend and @AllenP, if he’s not the most then who is?

  • http://google c_cantrell

    jkidd is not overrated.. jkidd is a top 5 point of all time.. id personally place the glove ahead of him tho

  • JTaylor21

    @Cantrell, you’re VERY wrong my friend, JKidd is a better point guard than GP. He’s a WAY better passer, rebounder, leader, and winner, while GP is obviously the better defender, scorer, and yapper.

  • http://dsjkfl.com Jukai

    How does one measure ‘winner’
    Jason Kidd has two finals appearences
    GP has a ring.
    Doesn’t that make GP more of a ‘winner’ even though he didn’t lead his team to that championship? He hit two of the most important shots in that game.

  • http://google c_cantrell

    idk man.. maybe im jus biased after watching dude shut mj down in the playoffs.. dude was an absolute beast but yes kidd was a better passer and rebounder but the leadership issue is up for grabs between the 2 tho i know u will argue this stating that kidd lead his team to 2 consecutive finals appearances.. they are very close i would say

  • JTaylor21

    @cantrell, you’re RIGHT they are very very close and I can see why you chose GP but I rather have JKidd. Let’s agree to disagree.

  • http://google c_cantrell

    sounds good bro

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