50 Greatest NBA/ABA Players Not In the Hall Of Fame
By Phil Watson
(Photo credit should read DAVID MURRAY/AFP/Getty Images)
The New Jersey Nets took Oklahoma point guard Mookie Blaylock with the 12th overall selection in the 1989 NBA Draft, but he really blossomed after leaving the swamps of Jersey.
Blaylock was a starter for two of his three seasons with the Nets before being dealt in November 1992 along with Roy Hinson to the Atlanta Hawks for Rumeal Robinson.
Whoops.
Blaylock was named to five All-Defensive teams. He led the NBA in steals in 1996-97 and in steals per game twice (1996-97 and 1997-98). He also led the league in 3-point attempts with 604 in 1996-97, but wasn’t terribly successful at them.
On the eve of the NBA Draft in June 1999, Blaylock was traded with a first-round pick to the Golden State Warriors for Bimbo Coles, Duane Ferrell and a first-round selection.
Blaylock was slowed by injuries his final two seasons with the Warriors, retiring after the 2001-02.
Off the court problems may keep Blaylock out of the Hall, however. He was sentenced to seven years in a Georgia penitentiary in connection with pleading guilty to the 2013 death of a motorist in a head-on collision when he was under medical orders not to drive.
In 13 NBA seasons, Blaylock averaged 13.5 points, 6.7 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.3 steals in 34.9 minutes per game, shooting .409/.336/.736.
He is 49th on the NBA’s career list with 1,283 3-pointers, 42nd with 3,816 3-point attempts, 37th with 5,972 assists, 12th with 2,075 steals, 31st in assists per game and fourth in steals per game.