Mookie Blaylock
Encyclopedia
Daron Oshay "Mookie" Blaylock (born March 20, 1967), is a retired American
professional basketball
player. He spent 13 years in the NBA
with three teams.
, he was rated among the better defensive stoppers in the game. The former Garland High School
, Midland College
(where he earned NJCAA All American honors in 1987), and University of Oklahoma
star is most highly regarded for his quick hands and a ball hawking defensive style that produced more than 200 steals
in a season five times and two NBA All-Defensive first-team selections. He was also a capable outside shooter, a fine passer who generally ranked among the league's assist leaders, and a durable instigator of the fast break. In 1988, he (along with Stacey King) led the Sooners to the NCAA title game
.
Blaylock was selected by the New Jersey Nets
with the 12th overall pick of the 1989 NBA Draft
and settled quickly into Nets' rotation. He was traded to the Atlanta Hawks
prior to the 1992–93 season
, where he flourished under newly-signed coach Lenny Wilkens
. He was traded to the Golden State Warriors
in a trade that brought the 1999 10th overall draft pick
Jason Terry
to Atlanta, and finished off his career playing as a reserve for the Warriors.
originally named their group "Mookie Blaylock", but they were forced to change the name. They settled on naming their debut album Ten
after Blaylock's jersey number. In addition, Blaylock himself is a fan of Pearl Jam.
In Tom Robbins
' 1994 novel Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas
, character Larry Diamond uses the name "Mookie Blaylock" as a pseudonym for hotel stays.
In the Homestar Runner
toon "Kick-A-Ball", the Umpire tells the Announcer that Mookie Blaylock gave him the ball featured in the toon, a reference to a similar scene in an earlier toon about Mookie Wilson
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. He spent 13 years in the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
with three teams.
Professional career
A 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) push-and-pass point guardPoint guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
, he was rated among the better defensive stoppers in the game. The former Garland High School
Garland High School
Garland High School is a public secondary school located in Dallas, Texas . Garland High School enrolls students in grades 9-12 and is a part of the Garland Independent School District. The school is a member of the AP program, the IB program, and is known for its football team, the Garland...
, Midland College
Midland College
Midland College was established as an independent junior college in 1972 and held its first classes on campus in 1975. Since that time, the campus has expanded to a main campus on in Midland, Texas, United States - a county seat of over 100,000 people in the Permian Basin region of west Texas...
(where he earned NJCAA All American honors in 1987), and University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
star is most highly regarded for his quick hands and a ball hawking defensive style that produced more than 200 steals
Steal (basketball)
In basketball, a steal occurs when a defensive player legally causes a turnover by his positive, aggressive action. This can be done by deflecting and controlling, catching, or batting to a teammate a pass or dribble of an offensive player...
in a season five times and two NBA All-Defensive first-team selections. He was also a capable outside shooter, a fine passer who generally ranked among the league's assist leaders, and a durable instigator of the fast break. In 1988, he (along with Stacey King) led the Sooners to the NCAA title game
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
.
Blaylock was selected by the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
with the 12th overall pick of the 1989 NBA Draft
1989 NBA Draft
The 1989 NBA Draft took place on June 27, 1989 in New York City, New York, USA. It has been regarded as one of the worst drafts in NBA history, along with the 1986 NBA Draft and the 2000 NBA Draft. Though the draft produced talented players such as Shawn Kemp, Glen Rice, Sean Elliott, Nick...
and settled quickly into Nets' rotation. He was traded to the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
prior to the 1992–93 season
1992-93 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-Yearly awards:*Most Valuable Player: Charles Barkley, Phoenix Suns*Rookie of the Year: Shaquille O'Neal, Orlando Magic*Defensive Player of the Year: Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets...
, where he flourished under newly-signed coach Lenny Wilkens
Lenny Wilkens
Leonard Randolph "Lenny" Wilkens is a retired American basketball player and coach in the NBA...
. He was traded to the Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in a trade that brought the 1999 10th overall draft pick
1999 NBA Draft
The 1999 NBA Draft was held on June 30, 1999 at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. It was the first draft in which four players from the same college were picked in the first round, with Elton Brand , Trajan Langdon , Corey Maggette and William Avery being selected out of Duke University...
Jason Terry
Jason Terry
Jason Eugene Terry is an American professional basketball player playing with the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. He plays shooting guard, although he also can play point guard. His nickname, "JET," derives from his initials...
to Atlanta, and finished off his career playing as a reserve for the Warriors.
NBA achievements
- Led the NBA in steals two years in a row (1996–97 and 1997–98), joining Alvin RobertsonAlvin RobertsonAlvin Cyrrale Robertson is a retired American basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association from 1984 to 1993, and for one final season in 1995–96.-Career:...
, Magic JohnsonMagic JohnsonEarvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
, Allen IversonAllen IversonAllen Ezail Iverson is an American professional basketball point guard and shooting guard. He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the number one pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in the 1996–97 season...
and Chris PaulChris PaulChristopher Emmanuel Paul is an American professional basketball point guard for the New Orleans Hornets.Paul was born and raised in North Carolina. Despite only playing two varsity basketball seasons in high school, he was a McDonald's All-American and accepted a scholarship with nearby Wake...
as the only players to pull off that feat. - Led the NBA in three-point attempts and finished second in three-pointers made in the 1996–97 season.
- Is the Atlanta Hawks' all-time franchise leader in three-point field goals made (1,050), three-point field goal attempts (3,023) and steals (1,321).
- Set the Atlanta Hawks' single-season franchise records for three-pointers made (231) and attempted (623) in 1995–96.
In popular culture
Fans of the basketball player, the band members of Pearl JamPearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
originally named their group "Mookie Blaylock", but they were forced to change the name. They settled on naming their debut album Ten
Ten (Pearl Jam album)
Ten is the debut studio album by the American grunge band Pearl Jam, released on August 27, 1991 through Epic Records. Following the disbanding of bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Stone Gossard's previous group Mother Love Bone, the two recruited vocalist Eddie Vedder, guitarist Mike McCready, and...
after Blaylock's jersey number. In addition, Blaylock himself is a fan of Pearl Jam.
In Tom Robbins
Tom Robbins
Thomas Eugene "Tom" Robbins Thomas Eugene "Tom" Robbins Thomas Eugene "Tom" Robbins (born July 22, 1936 is an American author. His best-selling novels are serio-comic, often wildly poetic stories with a strong social and philosophical undercurrent, an irreverent bent, and scenes extrapolated from...
' 1994 novel Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas
Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas
One of Tom Robbins' less well-known novels, Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas was published in 1994 by Bantam Books. Like Robbins' other books, the plot involves an eclectic mix of characters and complicated scenarios, and mixes the mundane with the mysterious, in the form of the Sirius mysteries and...
, character Larry Diamond uses the name "Mookie Blaylock" as a pseudonym for hotel stays.
In the Homestar Runner
Homestar Runner
Homestar Runner is a Flash animated Internet cartoon. It mixes surreal humor with references to retro pop culture, notably video games, classic television, and popular music.The cartoons are nominally centered on the title character, Homestar Runner...
toon "Kick-A-Ball", the Umpire tells the Announcer that Mookie Blaylock gave him the ball featured in the toon, a reference to a similar scene in an earlier toon about Mookie Wilson
Mookie Wilson
William Hayward "Mookie" Wilson is an American former Major League Baseball center fielder and current coach for the New York Mets. He played 12 years in baseball for the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays . He was a switch hitter primarily known for his impressive speed and positive attitude...
.
Family
In 2011, two of Blaylock's sons committed to play football for the University of Kentucky.See also
- List of National Basketball Association career 3-point scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders
- List of National Basketball Association players with most assists in a game
- List of National Basketball Association players with most steals in a game
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 11 or more steals in a game