I’ve thought about many of the offensive superstars and compared their games to LSU’s mighty-mite.
Allen Iverson (possibly my favorite NBA small guy of all-time and alum of my favorite Hoya squad): Jackson was a better shooter (by far); a better ball handler, just as fast, and a much better free throw shooter. Chris Paul: please. Bobby Hurley: different universe. Gary Payton: nope; dominant on the box, but he had to work harder for his…offensive game improved tremendously in the pros.
Tim Hardaway: much, much slower, not as dominant from the line in late game situations…but awesome. Kevin Johnson: explosive hops, great J, tremendous wheels and great free throw shooter – but can’t compare to Jackson’s quick release. Terrell Brandon: close again – all the tools, but 30 ppg from a frosh in the SEC is tough to match. Sam Cassell: all the old school tools any hooper could ever ask for…one of my favorites – better as a pro; not a speedster, but super-duper clutch. Nash: great player, but not comparable collegiately…apples and oranges. Pearl Washington: hmm. Aside from the speed, free throw shooting and jump shot range, they’re about even. Pearl could get streaky from outside, but that was not a reliable source of points for him. Sherman Douglas: hell no. Stephon Marbury: not from the outside. Kenny Anderson: not from the outside. Mark Price: everything – including the speed (if not the quickness in tight spaces and the hops) and the free throw shooting…gotta think about this kid from Enid, Oklahoma. He put it down back in the day. I’m not going to talk about guys like Chris Corchiani or Rumeal Robinson or others…it’s simply not the right conversation for them.
For me, only Isiah Thomas is comparable because “Zeke” could have scored at will for Bob Knight’s Indiana teams. He was an excellent free throw shooter, though not as good as Jackson. He was a prolific passer. Both players had lightning quick hands and were terrors for opposing point guards to beat off the dribble – but Isiah was a better defensive player.
I’ve been hoping to track down some archival footage of those LSU days – perhaps that amazing battle between LSU and Illinois when “Lou-Do” (Illini coach Lou Henson) put Kendall Gill and Steve Bardo on Jackson. Jackson had just lit Payton and Oregon State up for about Fiddy – and he only hit the Illini for about 28 – but he demonstrated that elite 6’5 defenders couldn’t touch him. He ran Gill and Bardo ragged for 40 minutes, but the Illini were loaded and won easily. Great game 127-100. Great player.
Abdul-Rauf, whose records were approached by Texas frosh Kevin Durant, is still the all-time leading NCAA freshman scorer. He was a consensus All-American as a freshman and a sophomore. He is someone who may be forgotten in some quarters, but certainly not by those with broken ankles slow to heal or top-notch defenders with dented pride. If you can find some video, pass it on, and let’s keep this thing going. LSU’s media guide refers to him as the “most celebrated freshman of all time.” It’s been almost 20 years, but I haven’t seen anything like him since then.
Article Appeared in The Black Truth News Volume 3 Issue 10 October 2012