15 players you forgot suited up for the Denver Nuggets
By Dean Hasan
6. Mark Jackson (1996-97)
His voice has been broadcast over some of the biggest Finals games in NBA history, he’s a former coach of the Warriors, and during his heyday, he was one of the best passers the game has ever seen.
Mark Jackson took home Rookie of the Year honors in the 1987-88 season, finished his career fourth on the all-time assists list with 10,334, and made the All-Star team during his sophomore season with the New York Knicks. He regularly put up mind-boggling assist numbers, and he arguably played the best basketball of his career during his 52 games with the Nuggets.
With Denver, Jackson averaged 10.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and a league-leading 12.3 assists per game on .425/.397/.801 splits before a mid-season trade sent him to the Pacers. While his assist numbers took a slight hit during his 30 games in Indiana, his 11.4 assists per game for the season still led the league and he was crowned as the 1996-97 assist champion.
Jackson dished out 15-plus dimes on 16 occasions with the Nuggets, and he had at least 10 assists in 40 of his 52 starts with the team. On Jan. 20, 1997 against the Nets, he had his best game with Denver, recording 21 points, 22 assists and seven rebounds while turning the ball over just twice.
In the history of the NBA, only 83 times has a player recorded a 20 point, 20 assist game, and only 35 different players have ever accomplished the feat. Jackson’s performance tied for the third-fewest turnovers in those games.
Mama, there goes that man.