Label doesn't fit Jimmy Jackson

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Label doesn't fit Jackson

The Arizona Republic
Mar. 13, 2005 12:00 AM


In the NBA, there are many ways to get branded.

You can fire a coach, fire up a blunt and involve the police in some sordid matter . . . all before morning shootaround.

Or you can do what Jim Jackson did, which is bounce around the league like a bad rumor, somehow becoming a bad guy in the process.

The latter would be news to the Suns.

"He's been nothing but great since he's been here," coach Mike D'Antoni said. "But I guess when someone plays for 11 teams in 11 years, people start to ask why. People assume there must be some sort of problem. But with Jimmy, no one ever had a good answer."

Once a prized pony and the No. 4 pick in the 1992 NBA draft, it all started when Jackson held out on the Mavericks before ever playing a game. Back then, rookies did not have a slotted pay scale, and negotiations could sometimes get thorny.

According to an ESPN account, he waved a gun during an apparent road-rage incident. And then there was the notorious feud with former teammate Jason Kidd, allegedly over the affections of singer Toni Braxton, and, really, who could blame them?

After 4 1/2 years in Dallas, Jackson was traded for the first time. In the next eight years, he would play for nine teams. Without much reason, he became an NBA enigma, a locker-room risk, a player to avoid.

"It perpetuates with a rumor, and when someone continues to talk about it and talk about it, it brings that rumor to life," Jackson said. "Things happened early in my career that people really didn't understand. They just heard about it, and whenever you go to the next city, it starts all over again. And if you start going from city to city to city, it grows a life of its own."

Yet baggage hardly has been a worry in Phoenix, where Jackson has maturely filled a bench-scoring void. He has been adroit at making the right pass to the right teammate, just as he did in high school, when he was a freshman point guard brought in to lead a team of seniors.

In general, he has fit like a glove, unlike the player that actually uses such a nickname.

"Even now, years later, people still bring up the baggage, even though it really wasn't like that. Even though it's not me. Even though people have come out and said, 'He plays hard, He's a great team guy,' " Jackson said.

"I've had a lot of teammates, and you can go ask any of the guys I've played with: How am I as a person?"

So, take a moment to appreciate his contributions. Jackson may be known as a vagabond, with no roots in the NBA and no place to call home. Sadly, his strongest basketball connection remains with Ohio State, where he was a holy terror of a player known for those terrific games against Calbert Cheaney's Indiana clubs.

Yet Jackson cares enough to stay in marvelous shape. He is professional, friendly and has no intentions on causing any trouble. He may be a huge factor before the postseason is over, even if the stint in Phoenix is just another stopover on his itinerary.

"I don't know," Jackson said. "I thought Houston was going to be a great fit, and then something happened. I just throw my hands up and try to do the best I can."

And just so you know, Jackson likes Phoenix, loves the golf and is a huge fan of roller coasters. He says Cedar Point amusement park in Ohio is the best in the land.

Given his rocky, theme-park career, he should be considered an expert on thrill rides.

And another thing

Jackson has a tattoo written in Chinese. The translation: "He who knows about another man is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened."

"I'm comfortable with who I am as a person, and the decisions I've made," Jackson said.