NBA.com: Jaren Jackson Bio

A defensive specialist at Georgetown, Jaren Jackson spent his pro career fighting his way through a series of NBA contracts and stints in minor leagues before emerging as a key reserve and three-point shooter with the San Antonio Spurs and helping them to the NBA title in 1998-99. After spending parts of six seasons with six NBA teams, he finally spent a full year in the league with Washington in 1996-97 before moving to San Antonio as a free agent. He played in all 82 games for the Spurs in 1997-98, making 45 starts, and averaged career-highs of 8.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. Though he played less than half as much in 1998-99, he still averaged 6.4 ppg and led the Spurs in three-pointers with 53 in their drive to the NBA Championship. The 6-6 Jackson's numbers at Georgetown weren't overwhelming. In his 1988-89 senior season he averaged 12.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists, and his college career numbers include averages of 7.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists per contest. Passed over in the NBA Draft, he signed with the New Jersey Nets before the 1989-90 campaign and lasted 28 games. He then began a series of stints in other leagues and with other NBA teams. Jackson played parts of two seasons in the Continental Basketball Association and in the World Basketball League. He posted impressive statistics in the CBA, averaging 21.3 points in 14 contests for the La Crosse Catbirds in 1993-94 and 14.4 points in 24 games for the Fort Wayne Fury in 1995-96. In the NBA, he played in a utility role for five games with the Golden State Warriors in 1991-92 and saw action in 34 contests with the Los Angeles Clippers in 1992-93, 29 games with the Portland Trail Blazers in 1993-94, 21 with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1994-95 and four with the Houston Rockets in 1995-96 before spending a full season with the Washington Bullets and playing in 75 games in 1996-97. Jackson found a home with the San Antonio Spurs in 1997-98, playing in all 82 games and starting 45 of them. He averaged a career-high 8.8 points per game, his total of 722 points nearly matching his previous career total of 756 points amassed over seven seasons. He also set personal highs in assists, rebounds, steals and minutes per game, and his 112 three-pointers nearly doubled his previous career total of 59. In the playoffs he averaged 10.2 points per game. Though his minutes dropped from 2,226 to 861 and he lost his starting job early in the season, Jackson was a key contributor on the Spurs' 1998-99 championship team. He provided tough defense off the bench, led the team with 53 three-pointers and averaged 6.4 points in 18.3 minutes per game.

2000-2001 REGULAR SEASON
Appeared in a total of 16 games, averaging 2.4 points in 7.1 minutes...Shot 40% from the field, 38.9% from three-point land and was 0-2 from the line...Spent the majority of the season on the injured list...Missed 22 games- from 11/22-1/9- while on the injured list with a sprained left ankle...Missed the final 24 games of the season after being placed on the injured list on 3/5 due to a strained right calf...Logged 20 DNP-CDs...Had a season-high 14 points (5-9 FG, 4-6 3PT-FG) and a season-best five rebounds in a season-high 24 minutes vs. Washington on 2/15...Finihsed with eight points (3-3 FG, 2-2 3PT-FG) in four minutes at Cleveland on 2/7...Logged 10+ minutes four times

1999-2000 REGULAR SEASON
Netted 18 points (6-9 3-FG) in a 108-102 loss to Minnesota on 3/2 Logged 15 points in a 116-92 win over Houston 2/18 Tallied 18 points (4-6 3 FG) in a 106-87 victory over Denver on 11/27 Scored 23 points (7-16 3 FG) in a 106-90 victory over Dallas on 11/20

1998-1999 REGULAR SEASON
Led the Spurs in three-pointers made (53) and attempted (147) and ranked 2nd on the team in three-point percentage (.361) Scored 15 points in a 99-72 victory over the Vancouver Grizzlies on 4/29 Posted season-high 21 points in a 94-88 win over the L.A. Clippers on 4/26 Scored 13 points (6-10 FG), in 16 minutes, in a 112-82 victory over the Denver Nuggets on 3/23 Registered 14 points (5-7 FG, 4-5 3FG) and 3 rebounds in a 106-95 victory over the Denver Nuggets on 3/7 Recorded 16 points (5-10 FG, 4-4 FT) and 3 steals in a 95-79 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on 3/4

1997-1998 REGULAR SEASON
Totaled 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in a 110-97 victory over the Vancouver Grizzlies on 4/16 Posted a career-high 31 points (6-10 3FG) and 3 rebounds in a 99-84 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics on 4/10 Registered 11 points, 8 assists and 3 rebounds against the Utah Jazz on 4/8 Recorded 15 points and 4 rebounds in a 103-89 victory over the Miami Heat on 4/2 Scored 18 points, hitting 4-of-8 three-pointers, in a 97-86 victory over the Sacramento Kings on 3/12 Totaled 12 points, 5 steals, 4 assists and 3 rebounds in an 87-81 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on 2/19 Posted 13 points and 6 rebounds in a 76-71 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on 1/16 Registered 14 points (6-9 FG, 2-3 3FG) and 5 rebounds in a 109-67 victory over the Sacramento Kings on 1/10 Scored 21 points (7-12 FG, 4-8 3FG, 3-3 FT) in an 85-69 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on 1/2 Recorded a game-high 17 points and 4 rebounds against the Portland Trail Blazers on 12/28 Totaled 12 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds in a 101-86 victory over the Boston Celtics on 12/26 Posted 18 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds, in his first start of the season, in a 99-85 win over the Denver Nuggets on 12/16 Registered 14 points (5-8 FG, 4-4 FT) and 3 rebounds in an 87-80 victory over the Utah Jazz on 11/8

1996-1997 REGULAR SEASON
Jackson appeared in 75 games as a reserve for the Bullets, more than twice as many as his previous NBA career-high, which was 34 games with the Clippers in 1992-93. He averaged 5.0 points and 1.8 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per game, his total of 1,133 minutes being more than the 1,041 minutes he had logged in his previous six NBA seasons. He ranked fourth on the Bullets with 53 three-pointers and shot a .407 from the field, .335 from three-point range and .768 from the foul line. He scored a career-high 16 points in a 103-100 overtime loss at Indiana on Nov. 9, one of 11 double-figure scoring performances. He tied his career-high with six rebounds in an 88-76 victory over Philadelphia on Nov. 22. Jackson came off the bench in all three of the Bullets' playoff losses to Chicago, going scoreless with two rebounds and one assist in 11 minutes.

1995-1996 REGULAR SEASON
Jackson spent most of the 1995-96 season with the Fort Wayne Fury, appeareing in 24 regular season games and making 12 starts. He averaged 14.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, shooting .527 from the field including .520 on 26-for-50 from three-point range. He signed the first of two 10-day contracts with the Houston Rockets on Feb. 22, 1996. He played in four games with Houston, scoring eight points and grabbing three rebounds in a total of 33 minutes. He was released when his second 10-day contract expired and rejoined Fort Wayne. He was Fort Wayne's second-leading playof scorer at 21.6 ppg, with a high of 33 in Game 4 of the CBA Finals against Sioux Falls. He also averaged 6.7 rpg, second on the team, and 3.0 apg, third on the team, in postseason play.

1994-1995 REGULAR SEASON
Jackson was one of 20 players on the Philadelphia 76ers' roster in 1994-95, a merry-go-round of a campaign that saw the team search the CBA and the waiver wire for contributing ballplayers. Jackson was around for 21 games. The Sixers signed him on November 15 and then waived him on January 4. During his Sixers stint he averaged 3.3 points and 2.0 rebounds in 12.2 minutes per game. Jackson finished the year with the Pittsburgh Piranhas of the CBA, averaging 14.1 points and 5.0 rebounds in 22 games, 15 as a starter.

1993-1994 REGULAR SEASON
A left ankle injury to Clyde Drexler led to Jackson signing a contract with the Portland Trail Blazers on December 21. Prior to that the Georgetown product had been playing for the La Crosse Catbirds of the Continental Basketball Association, averaging a team-high 21.3 points to rank second in the league. Jackson was kept on the Blazers' roster for the remainder of the season, furthering an NBA career that included previous stints with the New Jersey Nets, the Golden State Warriors, and the Los Angeles Clippers. In 29 appearances with the Blazers he scored 2.8 points per game. Portland kept Jackson on its playoff roster, but he saw only 1 minute of action in a single postseason game.

1992-1993 REGULAR SEASON
Jackson put in a year with the Los Angeles Clippers after having turned in a red-hot performance for the Clippers' entry in the Los Angeles Summer Pro League. He had averaged 21.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists while shooting .616 from the field for the summer team. The NBA regular season proved to be slower going. Playing in only 34 games, Jackson averaged 3.9 points in 10.3 minutes per contest.

1991-1992 REGULAR SEASON
Jackson got a brief call-up from the Golden State Warriors in late January, but he spent most of the 1991-92 season in Wisconsin playing for the La Crosse Catbirds of the Continental Basketball Association. Jackson was a member of a starting five that included David Rivers, Kenny Battle, Jerome Lane, and Elliot Perry, each of whom earned NBA call-ups at some point during the season. Jackson averaged 18.3 points and 5.0 rebounds in 43 games as the Catbirds captured the CBA title. Golden State Warriors Coach Don Nelson imported Jackson to give the Warriors another bench player, signing him to two 10-day contracts. He played in only five games during that stretch and logged a total of 54 minutes. Jackson notched an NBA personal-high 11 points and 4 rebounds against the Charlotte Hornets on February 6. He averaged only 10.8 minutes in his brief stint with the Warriors, but he did get a taste of winning in the NBA-Golden State's 55-27 record in 1991-92 was the club's best in 16 years.

1990-1991 REGULAR SEASON
Jackson played the entire season with the Wichita Falls Texans and helped the club win the Continental Basketball Association Championship. He played in 51 games and finished fourth on the team in scoring (11.7 ppg) while averaging 4.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals.

1989-1990 REGULAR SEASON
In four years playing for John Thompson's Georgetown Hoyas, Jaren Jackson averaged 7.5 points and 2.9 rebounds and shot .439 from the floor. He played in every game-a string of 130 consecutive contests-and was a member of two Big East Conference championship clubs. His senior season was his best, as he posted averages of 12.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game and shot .451 from the field. As a rookie free agent with the New Jersey Nets, Jackson played sparingly. He posted averages of 2.4 points and 5.7 minutes per game in 28 games and weathered a 17-65 season that ranked as the worst in the league and the worst in franchise history.