DeMarre LaEdrick Carroll (born July 27, 1986) is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Carroll was drafted 27th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2009 NBA Draft. Carroll formerly played for the University of Missouri and Vanderbilt University. He is the nephew of former Missouri men's basketball coach Mike Anderson.^[1]

Career[link]

High school[link]

A former standout at John Carroll Catholic High School in Birmingham, he teamed with Alabama point guard Ronald Steele to lead the Cavaliers to back-to-back Alabama Class 6A state titles. He earned first team All-State, All-Area, All-Region, All-District and All-Metro recognition as a junior and senior and helped JCCHS to a combined 67-3 mark his final two seasons, culminating in those consecutive state crowns. He averaged 17.8 points and 9.1 rebounds as a junior for John Carroll's undefeated 36-0 state championship squad, before recording norms of 19.7 points and 10.7 rebounds as a senior en route to the team's 31-3 championship season. He capped his prep career by scoring a game-high 27 points in the annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game and was named MVP of the 2004 Alabama Class 6A State Tournament.

College[link]

After a successful sophomore year at Vanderbilt, he surprised the team when he decided to transfer to Missouri in 2006 to play for his uncle Mike Anderson. Carroll led Missouri to the Elite Eight (national quarterfinals) of the 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament during his senior year. He is capable from scoring inside, from the perimeter, and grabbing rebounds, proving his versatility.^[who?]

Health issues[link]

When Carroll came to Missouri, he complained of itchy legs, and was convinced that he was suffering from an allergy. After he was examined by several specialists, they came up with a considerably more serious diagnosis—liver disease. It was ultimately determined that Carroll would possibly need a liver transplant, but not for at least 20 years after his diagnosis and most likely after the end of any potential professional basketball career. His illness was revealed several weeks before the 2009 NBA Draft.^[2] At 1:30 a.m. on July 5, 2007, Carroll was shot in the ankle during a domestic dispute at a nightclub in Columbia, Missouri.^[1]

NBA[link]

Carroll was apparently able to satisfy teams' concerns about his health issues, as he was drafted in the first round, 27th overall, by the Memphis Grizzlies.^[3] He has played primarily off the bench during his tenure with the Memphis Grizzlies. On December 14, 2010, he was assigned to the Dakota Wizards of the NBA D-League.^[4] He was recalled on January 5, 2011. On February 24, 2011 he was traded with Hasheem Thabeet to the Houston Rockets for Shane Battier.^[5] On April 11, 2011, he was waived by the Rockets.

On Dec 12, 2011, the Denver Nuggets made DeMarre Carroll a nonguaranteed training camp invitee. He appeared in four games with the Nuggets during the 2011-12 regular season before being waived.^[6] On February 8, 2012, he signed with the Utah Jazz.^[7]

NBA statistics[link]

Regular season[link]

Playoffs[link]

Awards[link]

• 2004 High School 6A Finals MVP
• 2004 Alabama-Mississippi Game MVP
• 2007 Rivals.com Top Transfer
• 2009 First Team All-Big 12
• 2009 Academic All-Big 12 Team
• 2009 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament MVP

References[link]

External links[link]

• ESPN player profile @ espn.go.com
• mutigers.cstv.com
• NBA player profile @ www.nba.com

Paul Millsap

Millsap in 2009.
No. 24 – Utah Jazz
Power Forward
Personal information
Born	(1985-02-10) February 10, 1985 (age 27) Monroe, Louisiana
Nationality	American
High school	Grambling Laboratory
Listed height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight	253 lb (115 kg)
Career information
College	Louisiana Tech
NBA Draft	2006 / Round: 2 / Pick: 47th overall
Selected by the Utah Jazz
Pro career	2006–present
Career history
Utah Jazz (2006–present)
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2007)
Stats at NBA.com

Paul Millsap (born February 10, 1985) is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a 6'8", 253 pound power forward from Louisiana Tech University, Millsap was selected by the Jazz in the second round (47th overall) of the 2006 NBA Draft. His game was initially compared to that of Udonis Haslem.^[1] He was an early entrant to the draft as a junior. He is the only player in NCAA basketball history to lead the nation in rebounding for three consecutive years.

NBA career[link]

In late 2006, some sports journalists were referring to Millsap as a potential Rookie of the Year^[2] candidate, an award not traditionally given to players taken so late in the draft. Though the award would ultimately go to Brandon Roy, Millsap had a strong first season, leading all rookies with six double-doubles. He finished the 2006–07 season with averages of around 7 points per game, 5 rebounds per game, nearly one steal and one block; he had season highs of 20 points, 17 rebounds, 4 blocks, 4 steals, 3 assists, and 38 minutes. He played in all 82 of Utah's games. Early in the 2007–08 season, Millsap achieved a new career high of 24 points during a win against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He later extended his career high to 28 points against the Orlando Magic in late December 2007. His next career high came in December 2008 against the Boston Celtics when he scored 32 points. Millsap had played in 194 straight games since being drafted by the Jazz in 2006; he missed his first game of his professional career on December 26, 2008 against the Dallas Mavericks due to a sprained posterior cruciate ligament injury in his knee suffered against the Milwaukee Bucks on December 23, 2008.^[3]

Millsap was Jazz all-star forward Carlos Boozer's replacement during much of the 2008–2009 season (Boozer suffered a quadriceps injury and later a severe knee injury that led to surgery). His numbers soared, as he averaged 15.5 points per game on 56% shooting, and 9.5 rebounds.

Following the 2008–2009 season, the Jazz tendered a qualifying offer to Millsap, thus making him a restricted free agent.^[4] A few weeks later, he signed an offer sheet from the Portland Trail Blazers that would have given him $32 million over four years, including $6.2 million in the 2009–2010 season, with a $5.6 million signing bonus, with $10.3 million to be paid within seven days of the contract's approval by the NBA.^[5] The Jazz had the right to match the offer, and did so seven days later.^{[6] [7]}

At the start of the 2010–11 season, Millsap was awarded a full-time starting position at power forward after long-time starter Boozer left Utah to join the Chicago Bulls during free agency of summer 2010. He started alongside newly acquired center Al Jefferson, who came to Utah via trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves. On November 9, 2010, he scored a career-high 46 points against the Miami Heat in a 116-114^[8] overtime victory after coming back from a 22-point deficit. Millsap scored 11 points in 28 seconds at the end of regulation, including three three-pointers, one more than he had made in his entire career before then. He also hit a buzzer-beater to force overtime. It marked the first home loss for the newly assembled Heat trio of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh.

Awards and honors[link]

• NBA All-Rookie Second Team: 2007

NBA career statistics[link]

Regular season[link]

Playoffs[link]

See also[link]

• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season rebounding leaders

References[link]

External links[link]

• Paul Millsap at NBA.com
• Paul Millsap at Basketball-Reference.com
• Deseret Morning News - "Millsap seeking out ball — and success"
• DraftExpress.com - "The Long and Short of Paul Millsap"
• Millsap making a case in Utah
• Official Site

Gregg Popovich

Personal information
Born	(1949-01-28) January 28, 1949 (age 63) East Chicago, Indiana
Nationality	American
Career information
College	Air Force
Coaching career	1973–present
Career history
As coach:
1988–1992	San Antonio Spurs (assistant)
1992	Golden State Warriors (assistant)
1996–present	San Antonio Spurs
Career highlights and awards
4× NBA Champion (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007) 4× Western Conference Champion (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007) 2× NBA All-Star Game head coach (2005, 2011) 2× NBA Coach of the Year (2003, 2012)

Gregg Popovich (born January 28, 1949) is an American basketball coach, and is currently the head coach of the National Basketball Association's San Antonio Spurs. Taking over as coach of the Spurs in 1996, Popovich is the longest tenured coach in both the NBA and all Big Four sports leagues. He is often referred to as "Coach Pop" or simply "Pop."^[1][2] He has won four championships as head coach of the Spurs.

From Indiana to the Air Force Academy[link]

Popovich was born in East Chicago, Indiana to a Serbian father and mother of Croatian descent.^[3]. He attended Merrillville High School and graduated in 1970 from the United States Air Force Academy. He played basketball for four seasons at the Academy, and in his senior year was the team captain and the leading scorer. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Soviet Studies, and he underwent Air Force intelligence gathering and processing training. At one point, Popovich considered a career with the Central Intelligence Agency.^[4]

Popovich served five years of required active duty in the United States Air Force, during which he toured Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union with the U.S. Armed Forces Basketball Team. In 1972, he was selected as captain of the Armed Forces Team, which won the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) championship. This earned him an invitation to the 1972 U.S. Olympic Basketball Team trials.

Popovich returned to the Air Force Academy as an assistant coach in 1973 under head coach Hank Egan, a position he held for six years. Egan would later become an assistant coach under Popovich for the San Antonio Spurs, and later an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers under Mike Brown.

During his time with the coaching staff of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Popovich attended the University of Denver and earned his masters degree in physical education and sports sciences. In 1979, he was named the head basketball coach of Pomona-Pitzer's men's team.

During his time as head coach at Pomona-Pitzer, Popovich became a disciple and later a close friend of Kansas University head coach Larry Brown. Popovich took off the 1985–1986 season at Pomona-Pitzer to become a volunteer assistant Kansas, where he could study directly under Brown. Popovich returned to Pomona-Pitzer and resumed his duties as head coach the next season.

On April 4, 2008, Popovich returned to the Air Force Academy. He was bestowed the Academy's award of Distinguished Graduate. Despite his four NBA titles, Popovich said that the award possibly was the most meaningful award he had ever received.^[5]

NBA career[link]

Following the 1987–88 season, Popovich joined Larry Brown as the lead assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs. From 1988 to 1992, Popovich was the top assistant under Brown, before the entire staff (including R.C. Buford, Alvin Gentry and Ed Manning) was fired by owner Red McCombs. Popovich moved to the Golden State Warriors for a brief stint in 1992, serving as an assistant under future Hall of Famer Don Nelson and bringing with him Avery Johnson, who had been cut by the Spurs.

San Antonio[link]

In 1994, Popovich returned to San Antonio as the general manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations after a new ownership group purchased the team. Popovich's first move was to sign Avery Johnson to become the team's starting point guard. The two won an NBA title together in 1999, and Johnson, later head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, credited Popovich as being his biggest coaching influence^{[citation needed]}.

Another one of Popovich's early moves in San Antonio was to trade Dennis Rodman to the Chicago Bulls for Will Perdue^{[citation needed]}. Rodman was not fond of Popovich, as he said in his first book Bad As I Wanna Be^{[citation needed]}.

Following the 1996–97 NBA season, the Spurs won the first overall pick in the NBA Lottery and drafted Tim Duncan out of Wake Forest University. The Spurs blossomed as Duncan teamed up with the 7'1" David Robinson to give them a "Twin Tower" offense and defense for several years.

In 2002, Popovich relinquished his position as general manager to R. C. Buford, who had served as the team's head scout. Popovich and Buford both got their starts in the NBA in 1988 as assistants on Brown's coaching staff with the Spurs.

Popovich has won four championships with the Spurs, including their first championship in 1999. They later repeated as champions in 2003, 2005, and 2007. Popovich has been named NBA Coach of the Year twice, in 2003 and 2012.

He earned his 500th career victory on March 2, 2006, becoming the fourth-fastest coach in NBA history to reach that milestone. He led the team to a 63–19 season in 2006, which set a new franchise season record.

Popovich won his 100th playoff game on May 19, 2008, on the New Orleans Hornets' home court. The win tied him for third place in all-time playoff coaching victories with his friend and mentor, Larry Brown.

On May 2, 2012, Popovich won his second Coach of the Year Award for the 2011–12 NBA season.^[6]

Criticism[link]

Controversy surrounded Popovich during the 1996–97 NBA season when he fired Bob Hill 18 games into his third season as Spurs head coach. Hill had posted a combined 121–43 record in his first two seasons with the team. Popovich took over as head coach on the same day David Robinson joined the lineup for the first time that season, after missing time due to a back injury.^{[citation needed]} Robinson quickly suffered another back and foot injury against the Miami Heat that forced him to miss the remainder of the season.^{[citation needed]} Popovich's record that year as an interim coach for the Spurs was 17–47.

Popovich was highly criticized by Kevin O'Keeffe, a columnist for the San Antonio Express-News, following his decision to fire Hill. O'Keeffe argued^{[citation needed]} that the team's 3–16 start in 1996 had more to do with injuries to Robinson, Sean Elliott, Chuck Person, and Vinny Del Negro than it had to do with Hill's coaching.

International basketball[link]

Popovich served on the coaching staff for the US national team in the 2002 FIBA World Championship (assisting George Karl),^[7] the 2003 FIBA America Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament, and the 2004 Olympic Games, where the U.S. won a bronze medal.

Head coaching record[link]

Off the court[link]

Popovich is actively involved in several charities and programs in San Antonio, such as the Spurs/Pizza Hut Drug Free Youth Basketball League and the San Antonio Food Bank. He is a noted wine enthusiast. He and his wife of 29 years, Erin, have two children, Micky and Jill.

Popovich is also a supporter of Vlade Divac's "You Can Too" campaign, designed to provide shelter to former Yugoslavian and African refugees.

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gregg Popovich

External links[link]

• NBA.com Profile
• Profile as a coach
• 'Pop' art by Adrian Wojnarowski (Yahoo! Sports)

Boris Diaw

No. 33 – San Antonio Spurs
Power forward / Center
Personal information
Born	(1982-04-16) April 16, 1982 (age 30) Cormeilles-en-Parisis, Val-d'Oise, France
Nationality	French
Listed height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight	235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft	2003 / Round: 1 / Pick: 21st overall
Selected by the Atlanta Hawks
Pro career	2001–present
Career history
2001–2003	Pau-Orthez (France)
2003–2005	Atlanta Hawks
2005–2008	Phoenix Suns
2008–2012	Charlotte Bobcats
2011	JSA Bordeaux (France)
2012–present	San Antonio Spurs
Career highlights and awards
NBA Most Improved Player (2006)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals Competitor for  France Men's Basketball EuroBasket Silver 2011 Lithuania National team Bronze 2005 Serbia and Montenegro National team

Boris Babacar Diaw-Riffiod, better known as Boris Diaw (born April 16, 1982), is a French professional basketball player who plays for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association. He is 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) and 235 lbs (106.6 kg). He played for Pau Orthez, France's top league team, before joining the NBA.

At the end of the 2005–06 NBA season, Diaw was awarded the Most Improved Player trophy by garnering 80 first-place votes in balloting by 124 sports writers and sportscasters. He received 489 overall points.

Career[link]

In 2000, he won the European Junior Championship with the French National Team. He won a slam dunk contest in France^[1] when he was selected to play in the France Pro-A league's All-Star game in 2002. He was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, twenty-first overall in the 2003 NBA Draft where he played for two seasons before being traded in the offseason of 2005 with two future first round picks to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Joe Johnson.^[2] He had won the bronze medal at the European Championship with the French National Team in 2005.

In Phoenix, Diaw blossomed into an all-round player, playing any position from center to point guard and garnered the nickname "3D" because of his multidimensional play (his motto being "drive, dish, defend") and the combination of his number (3) and last name. Diaw averaged 13.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.05 blocks per game on .526 field goal percentage and 73.1% from the free throw line in the 2005–06 season for the Phoenix Suns, playing mostly small forward and then center in absence of the injured big men Amar'e Stoudemire and Kurt Thomas.

During the 2006 NBA playoffs as the Suns' starting center, Diaw averaged 18.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game on .526 field goal percentage and 76% at the free throw line in 3 rounds of the playoffs. In Game 1 of the 2006 Western Conference Finals against the Mavericks, Diaw scored a career-high 34 points, including the game-winning 7-foot turnaround jumper with 0.5 seconds remaining in regulation, to help his Suns to a 121–118 victory.

Diaw recorded his first career triple-double on January 31, 2006 when his Suns defeated the Philadelphia 76ers at Philadelphia, 123–99. Diaw had 14 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds, as well as a block and zero turnovers in 39 minutes. He is the first French NBA player ever to record a triple-double. He recorded his second career triple-double shortly afterwards on March 5, 2006 when his Suns defeated the Dallas Mavericks at Dallas, 115–107. On April 14, 2006, Diaw recorded his third career triple-double when the Suns suffered a loss to the Golden State Warriors, 110–102. Diaw had 11 points, 11 rebounds, and a career-high 16 assists, while adding three blocks and two steals in 42 minutes. Two days later, Diaw recorded his fourth career triple-double against the Los Angeles Lakers as his Suns lost 109–89. On December 15, 2006, Diaw recorded his fifth career triple-double in a victory against the Golden State Warriors.

In July 2006 Diaw was named captain of the French national team. Diaw led the French team in the 2006 FIBA World Championship with 107 points and 22 assists in 9 games.

In the 2008 NBA Playoffs, 1st Round, Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs, even though he fouled out in the game, Diaw recorded almost another triple double with is 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists in 44:51 minutes.

Diaw saw a reduced role with the Suns after the 2005–06 season with the return of Amar'e Stoudemire and largely played in a reserve role, failing to average double-digit points per game for the next two seasons. On December 10, 2008, Diaw, along with Raja Bell and Sean Singletary, was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for Jason Richardson and Jared Dudley in a move by the Suns to retool their roster. Diaw scored the franchise's first playoff points.^[3]

In September 2011, during the 2011 NBA lockout, Diaw signed with JSA Bordeaux in France.^[4]

On March 21, 2012, Diaw was waived by the Bobcats.^[5] He then signed with the San Antonio Spurs.^[6]

NBA career transactions[link]

• June 26, 2003: Drafted 21st overall by the Atlanta Hawks in 2003 NBA Draft.
• August 19, 2005: Traded by Atlanta along with two future first-round draft picks to the Phoenix Suns for Joe Johnson.^[7]
• December 10, 2008: Traded by Phoenix along with Raja Bell and Sean Singletary to the Charlotte Bobcats for Jason Richardson, Jared Dudley and a future second-round draft pick.^[8]
• March 21, 2012: Waived by the Bobcats.
• March 23, 2012: Signed by the San Antonio Spurs.^[6]

Player profile[link]

At 6'8" and 230 lbs, Diaw is a natural small forward. However, his passing skills and capability to score inside have earned him a reputation of being capable of playing all positions on the floor well. This is best seen in the 2005–06 season, during which Diaw started as a bench player, then convincingly subbed as a point guard when starting playmaker Steve Nash (that season's MVP) was injured, then started as a small forward and was finally moved to center when all three Suns pivots got injured, posting impressive stats of 18.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists in the playoffs despite playing out of position. His breakout season (13.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game) was crowned with the Most Improved Player Award. He is lauded for his unselfish, but assertive play, and his versatility also makes him a triple-double threat: as of December 2006, he has recorded five of them.

Family and personal life[link]

His 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) mother Élisabeth Riffiod is regarded^[who?] as one of the best centers in French women's basketball history, while his father Issa Diaw was a Senegalese high jump champion. He also has a half brother, Papa Saliou "Paco" Diaw, who was a guard at Georgia Tech,^[9] but transferred to Lee University, a small NAIA school in the Southern States Athletic Conference. His other brother, Martin Diaw, played basketball for Division II's California University of Pennsylvania.^[10]

Diaw and fellow French NBA star and Spurs teammate Tony Parker are long-time friends and former roommates. Diaw was the best man in Tony Parker's wedding to actress Eva Longoria.^[11]

In 2005, Diaw established a non-profit foundation, Babac'Ards, to organize sports activities for Senegalese youth and aid "developmental education".^[12]

NBA career statistics[link]

Regular season[link]

Playoffs[link]

Career highs[link]

• Points: 31 @ Minnesota 12/26/05
• Rebounds: 16 vs. New Jersey 12/03/10
• Assists: 16 @ Golden State 04/14/06
• Steals: 4 6 times
• Blocks: 7 vs. Washington 02/11/09

References[link]

External links[link]

• NBA.com
• BorisDiaw.com
• ESPN.com
• Basketball-Reference
• Boris Diaw Player Profile (InterBasket)
• CBS Sportsline

Stephen Jackson

Jackson with the Warriors in 2008
No. 3 – San Antonio Spurs
Shooting guard / Small forward
Personal information
Born	(1978-04-05) April 5, 1978 (age 34) Houston, Texas
Nationality	American
High school	Abraham Lincoln (Port Arthur, Texas) Oak Hill Academy
Listed height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight	220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
College	Butler CC (1996–1997)
NBA Draft	1997 / Round: 2 / Pick: 43rd overall
Selected by the Phoenix Suns
Pro career	1997–present
Career history
1997, 1998	La Crosse Bobcats (CBA)
1998	Sydney Kings (Australia)
1999, 2000	Marinos de Oriente (Venezuela)
1999, 2000	San Carlos (Dominican Republic)
1999	Fort Wayne Fury (CBA)
2000	Pueblo Nuevo (Dominican Republic)
2000–2001	New Jersey Nets
2001–2003	San Antonio Spurs
2003–2004	Atlanta Hawks
2004–2007	Indiana Pacers
2007–2009	Golden State Warriors
2009–2011	Charlotte Bobcats
2011–2012	Milwaukee Bucks
2012–present	San Antonio Spurs
Career highlights and awards
NBA Champion (2003)
Stats at NBA.com

Stephen Jesse Jackson (born April 5, 1978) is an American professional basketball player who plays for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Jackson is a 6'8" guard-forward.

Early life[link]

Jackson was born in Houston and grew up in Port Arthur, Texas.^[1] When growing up, Jackson worked in his grandfather's soul food restaurant in Port Arthur, Texas where he used to wash dishes and bus tables.^[2] At the age of 14, Jackson saw his half-brother Donald die, at age 25. Following the violent tragedy, Jackson said that he wished he could have been there to assist and protect a member of his family. "You can't tell me seeing his brother die that way hasn't had an effect," recalls Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh. "To me, it's why he is always coming to the help of his teammates."

He prepped at Lincoln High School in Port Arthur before transferring to Oak Hill Academy (Virginia) where he earned All-America honors in 1996. He was the leading scorer in the 1996 McDonald's All-American game, on a team that included Kobe Bryant, Jermaine O'Neal and Tim Thomas.^[3] Following a commitment to join the University of Arizona, Jackson was ruled academically ineligible.^[4][5] He attended Butler Community College.^[6]

Professional career[link]

CBA and foreign leagues[link]

Jackson was selected 43rd overall in the 1997 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns, yet did not receive an opportunity to perform, as he was waived by the team on October 30. Following this development, Jackson then saw action in six games with the La Crosse Bobcats over two on-and-off seasons in the CBA, in which he averaged 2.7 points in 12.7 minutes per game. Additionally, Jackson played four games in 1998 with the Sydney Kings in Australia's National Basketball League.^[7] Continuing his basketball journey, Jackson played professionally in Venezuela and the Dominican Republic.^[8] Throughout the spring and summer of 2000, Jackson played in those Latin American countries, with the Dominican Republic teams San Carlos and Pueblo Nuevo and Venezuelan Marinos.^[9]

Jackson established the Jack 1 Foundation and the Stephen Jackson Academy in his hometown of Port Arthur. [1]

New Jersey Nets[link]

Jackson did not play an NBA game until the 2000–01 season with the New Jersey Nets, officially deemed his rookie season. He appeared in 77 games (including 40 starts), in which he averaged 8.2 points per game, and established a close friendship with star point guard Stephon Marbury. Jackson was selected to play in the Schick Rookie Game at the 2001 All-Star Weekend, in which he tallied 8 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals in the contest.

San Antonio Spurs[link]

Before the 2001–2002 NBA season, he was signed by the San Antonio Spurs. Following a somewhat successful rookie campaign, Jackson was hampered by injuries and team expectations in 2001, missing a total of 45 games. Former assistant coach Mike Brown stated: "The first year we had him in San Antonio, he was on the (injured reserve) most of the year. At first, he didn't understand why because he probably was the most talented player we had on that team, but he needed to mature a little bit so we stuck him there to see how he would respond. He was the best teammate on our team that first year. He was the first guy off the bench high-fiving his teammates during timeouts. He was in every single huddle. He was juiced at practice ready to play and compete and make the starters better, and it carried over into his second year when he got his opportunity to get out onto the floor and prove he could be a vital part of the organization."^[10] His season averages were 3.9 points and 1.1 rebounds, logging approximately 9.9 minutes per game.

During the 2002–2003 NBA season, Jackson became a key member of the Spurs. Appearing in 80 games (58 starts), his season averages were 11.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 28.2 minutes per game. In the course of their postseason run in the 2003 NBA Playoffs, Jackson proved to be a vital asset and helped the Spurs win their second NBA Championship, averaging 12.8 points per game during the playoffs – the team's 3rd leading scorer.

Atlanta Hawks[link]

In 2003, Jackson became a free agent during the offseason. He expected to be resigned by the Spurs to a big contract but that never occurred. He had to settle for a contract with less money on being signed by the Atlanta Hawks. Registering his best professional season so far, Jackson established season averages of 18.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, in 80 total games (78 starts). On March 12, vs. the Washington Wizards, Jackson scored 42 points, his career high at the time. In the 29 games following the All-Star Break, Jackson averaged 24.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.2 steals per game. During this stretch, he was the NBA's 6th leading scorer.^[11]

Following the 2003–04 NBA season, he was traded to the Indiana Pacers for small forward Al Harrington (who finished 2nd place in Sixth Man of the Year voting), after signing a 6 year, $38.3 million contract.

Indiana Pacers[link]

During his first season as a member of the Indiana Pacers in the 2004–05 NBA season, Jackson tallied averages of 18.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. He received a 30-game suspension from the league after going into the stands and brawling with Detroit Pistons fans during the infamous Pacers–Pistons brawl at The Palace of Auburn Hills, on November 19, 2004. During this time, accompanied by 3 of his teammates, Jackson visited the Indiana Developmental Training Center. He donated a big screen television as well as other items.

Following his return from this lengthy suspension, he averaged 21.7 points per game in a span of 22 games, starting on March 3 (due to an injury to Pacers power forward Jermaine O'Neal).

Indiana's once promising post-season possibilities were marred by the suspension of small forward Ron Artest. Jackson averaged 18.9 points per game during the first round of the 2005 NBA Playoffs, versus the Boston Celtics. A series loss in the next round at the hands of the Detroit Pistons would end the campaign, with Jackson leading the team in scoring during the playoffs with an average of 16.1 points per game.^[12]

In the 2005–06 NBA season, Jackson appeared in 81 games for the Pacers, averaging 16.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. A particularly impressive exhibition performed by Jackson came in a midseason victory over the Sacramento Kings, in which he made four consecutive 3-pointers on four straight possessions. As the playoff push ensued, he tallied an average of 20.2 points per game in the month of April.

On October 6, 2006, there were police reports that Jackson and three other Pacers players were involved in an argument with several patrons at Club Rio, a strip club in Indianapolis. Jackson was punched by one of the patrons and was hit by a car, rolling onto the hood. His injuries were considered minor. Jackson says he fired several gunshots from a 9-mm pistol as an act of self-defense. However, prosecutors later said he fired first.^[13] Jackson was charged October 11, 2006 with a felony count of criminal recklessness. He served a seven game suspension at the beginning of the 2007–08 NBA season as a Warrior for his legal problems.^[14]

Golden State Warriors[link]

Jackson takes a jump shot.

On January 17, 2007, the Pacers dealt Jackson to the Golden State Warriors in a blockbuster eight player trade.^[15] Along with Al Harrington, Šarūnas Jasikevičius, and Josh Powell, Jackson was swapped for Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy, Ike Diogu, and Keith McLeod of the Warriors.^[16]

Jackson registered 29 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 steals in his Warriors debut, January 20, 2007 versus the Cleveland Cavaliers. Yet another significant, meaningful performance came on February 5, when Golden State traveled to Conseco Fieldhouse to compete against Jackson's former team. He tallied 36 points, leading the Warriors to a 113–98 victory over the Indiana Pacers. Rejuvenated by the change of scenery, Jackson averaged 19.6 points and 4.6 assists per game in February – taking the reins of principal playmaker while star point guard Baron Davis was injured. Jackson led the team in scoring 3 times during the last 5 games in the regular season, including the season-ending victory over the Portland Trail Blazers that clinched the Warriors' first playoff berth in 12 seasons.

In the Warriors 4–2 series victory over the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2007 NBA Playoffs, Jackson garnered both positive and negative publicity. In what some consider the biggest upset in NBA history,^[17] Jackson was ejected from Games 2 and 5. The latter decision, in Game 5, was heavily criticized as Jackson appeared to be merely applauding at the end of the game to lift the spirits of his teammates, and not sarcastically at a referee. But Jackson redeemed himself by playing well the entire series, especially in the series-clinching Game 6, where Jackson tallied 33 points on a franchise playoff-record 7 three-pointers. Also, he continued to play aggressive defense against eventual MVP recipient Dirk Nowitzki, who was held to 8 points.

Baron Davis, who suffered a slight hamstring injury in the 1st quarter of Game 6, shares his thoughts regarding Jackson: "I told him (Stephen Jackson) I'll give it all I got and I didn't want to be the hardest worker out there. He had to carry me. He is the leader of this team and if you ask anyone on this team, he is the heart and soul of this team. He is a big-game performer and he knew just how important this game was. He is the only one on our team to have won a championship, so we had to feed off of him."^[18]

Jackson finished the series with per-game averages of 22.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.0 steals.

Prior to the 2007–08 NBA season, Jackson (along with guard Baron Davis and forward Matt Barnes) was named a team captain of the Warriors.^[19] Jackson was the recipient of the NBA's Western Conference Player of the Week (November 26 – December 2), averaging 23.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.8 steals.^[20]

During the 2008–09 NBA season, Jackson registered three games of at least 30 points and 10 assists in a five-game span – the first NBA player to do so since LeBron James in 2007, and the first member of the Warriors since Tim Hardaway in 1992.^[21] He also tallied his first career triple double (30 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) against the Phoenix Suns in the midst of this stretch, on February 4.^[22]

On November 17, 2008, Jackson signed a three-year contract extension with the Warriors.^[23] Jackson's 2008–2009 campaign effectively ended when he decided to officially determine the root cause of turf toe on his left foot, which had been ailing him for over 2 years.^[24] He underwent surgery on March 31, 2009 to remove multiple bone spurs above the nerve tissue under his big toe.^[25]