Mark Jackson

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Jackson grew up in the St. Albans neighborhood of Queens, New York City. He attended Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Brooklyn and was a star player under coach Patrick Quigley. He played college basketball at St. John's University alongside Olympian and NBA All-Star Chris Mullin. Jackson developed an unusual free-throw line ritual of extending his hand and cupping his thumb and index finger around the rim, which helped him to a career 77.0% free-throw percentage. He is also notable for prompting an NBA rule change: the five-second back-to-the-basket violation, sometimes called the 'Mark Jackson Rule', and for perfecting and increasing the popularity of the 'teardrop' shot.

In Their Own Story

The 1989 playoff run against the Boston Celtics remains a tale of grit and sacrifice for Mark Jackson. After being benched by Knick coach Stu Jackson for the entire decisive Game 5, Jackson watched as New York defeated Larry Bird's Celtics to advance to the second round. This moment highlighted the intense competition and shifting dynamics within the team during that era. The Knicks went on to face the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals but lost in five games. Jackson's style of play was so distinctive that it altered NBA rules. His tendency to back down opposing point guards for extended periods led to the creation of the five-second back-to-the-basket violation, often dubbed the "Mark Jackson Rule." This rule prohibited an offensive player from dribbling with their back to the basket for more than five seconds below the free-throw line. Beyond his on-court impact, Jackson was a key figure in popularizing the teardrop shot, using it effectively against much larger defenders throughout his career.

Reader's Guide

Jackson was the 18th pick of the 1987 NBA draft by the New York Knicks. He teamed with Patrick Ewing and Charles Oakley to turn the Knicks into a prime playoff team in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He averaged 13.6 points and 10.6 assists per game in his rookie season, earning him the 1988 Rookie of the Year award. In 1989, he made his lone All-Star Game appearance and helped lead the Knicks to the Atlantic Division title and the number-two seed in the East. He was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in 1992. He later played for the Indiana Pacers, Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, and Houston Rockets, appearing in his only NBA Finals in 2000 with the Pacers. He ranks sixth on the all-time assist list (10,334), 24th on the NBA all-time games list (1,296), 34th on the all-time steals list (1,608), 42nd on the all-time minutes played list (39,121), 225th on the all-time three-point field goals made list (734), and 197th on the all-time three-point field goal attempts list (2,213). After retiring, he became a broadcast commentator for ESPN and ABC alongside Jeff Van Gundy and Mike Breen, and also worked as an analyst for YES Network's New Jersey Nets games. In 2011, the Golden State Warriors hired him as head coach; he coached for three seasons and was fired in 2014 despite leading the Warriors to consecutive playoff appearances for the first time in over 20 years. He returned to ESPN until his removal in 2023.

Did You Know?

• Jackson was the lowest overall draft pick to win Rookie of the Year since Woody Sauldsberry in 1958, and the only non-lottery pick to win the award since the introduction of the system in 1985 until Malcolm Brogdon in 20
• In 1989, after Jackson stuck out his tongue at Michael Jordan during a fast-break layup, Jordan responded with a 40+ PPG average the remainder of the series and led Chicago to a 4–2 series victory.
• Jackson moved to second place on the all-time assist list behind John Stockton during his season with the Utah Jazz.