Jamal Mashburn

Lore & Background

Mashburn was born to Bobby, a former heavyweight boxer and New York City police officer, and Helen Mashburn. He learned the game at Rucker Park, just a block away from where he was raised at the Rangel Houses. After attending Cardinal Hayes High School in The Bronx, he played college basketball for the University of Kentucky, where he was a consensus First Team All-American by his junior year and led the Wildcats to the Final Four. He was selected by the Dallas Mavericks with the fourth pick in the 1993 NBA draft.

Reader's Guide

Mashburn played for the Dallas Mavericks (1993–1997), Miami Heat (1997–2000), Charlotte Hornets (2000–2002), and New Orleans Hornets (2002–2005). He was a 1-time NBA All-Star (2003) and made the All-NBA Third Team in the 2002–03 season. He averaged 20.8 points per game in his final NBA season (2003–04), one of only six players since 1970 to average at least 20 points per game in his final season. He retired in 2006 due to chronic knee problems.

Did You Know?

• Mashburn scored 50 points in a game against the Chicago Bulls on November 12, 1994, making him the fourth-youngest player to score 50 points in an NBA game.
• He was part of the "Three J's" in Dallas alongside Jason Kidd and Jim Jackson.
• Mashburn played in his only All-Star game in 2003, scoring 10 points.
• After retiring, he became a successful entrepreneur, owning over 90 businesses including 38 Outback Steakhouse locations and 40 Papa John's locations.