#35 Chris Jackson Season 1989-90

Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf

JERSEY RETIRED (35) IN 2019 | CEREMONY ON 2/29/20
ALL-CENTURY TEAM MEMBER

• 1988-89 Box Scores | Jackson’s GBG Stats
• 1989-90 Box Scores

In just his freshman and sophomore years, Jackson was a two-time consensus SEC Player of the Year lighting up scoreboards across America. After scoring 48 and 53 points in the first month of his college career, he went on to become the most celebrated freshman of all time, setting an NCAA freshman scoring record, averaging 30.2 points per game.

He became just the second freshman ever to make the Associated Press first-team All-America squad and the first ever to make the U.S. Basketball Writers Association’s All-America team.He finished his short career as the seventh leading scorer in school history with 1,854 points (29.0 ppg). His records for freshman include most points in a game (55), most points in a season (965) and season average (30.2).

He won accolades throughout the country as he starred on the court while fighting an ongoing battle with Tourette’s Syndrome.

Jackson was chosen to the second team on the Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches All-Louisiana Team of the Century.

Of Chris Jackson, Baton Rouge State Times sports editor Sam King wrote:
“Athletes come and go.
“Many are so quickly forgotten.
“Only the great ones are remembered forever. To have seen Bob Pettit, Billy Cannon and Pete Maravich perform at their best was to commit them to memory.
“Chris Jackson now joins some very select company.”

After his LSU career ended, Jackson played nine seasons in the NBA from 1990-2001 for the Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings and Vancouver Grizzlies. He finished his career with averages of 14.6 points and 3.5 assists per game.

POST LSU CAREER
Converted to Islam in 1991 and changed name to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf … On March 12, 1996, the NBA suspended him without pay when he refused to abide by a league rule that requires “players to line up in a dignified posture for the anthem” … Abdul-Rauf claimed that his Muslim beliefs precluded him from participating in the national anthem because the Koran forbids participation in any “nationalistic ritualism.” … After a one-game suspension, he agreed to stand and pray during the anthem … Featured in an independent documentary, “Twitch and Shout,” produced by two film makers with Tourette Syndrome from which he also suffers.

NBA CAREER (1990-2001)
Scored 48 points in the third game of his NBA career on his way to averaging 14.1 points per game in 1990-91 for the Denver Nuggets … Named to the NBA’s All-Rookie Second Team … Ranked second in the league in free throw shooting percentage (217 of 232, 93.5 percent) in 1992-93 … Led the NBA in free throw shooting percentage in 1993-94, as the third-year player made 219 of 229 for 95.6 percent … Scored 8,553 career points for a 14.6 points per game average in nine seasons … Made 90.5 percent (1,051 of 1,161) of his career free throws with a 44.2 percent (3,514 of 7,943) field goal percentage … Also shot 35.4 percent (474 of 1,339) from three-point range … Tallied 1,087 career rebounds and 2,079 career assists with only 963 turnovers … Played in 586 games, starting 336, with a total of 15,628 minutes played … His career highs included 51 points (vs. Utah in 1995), 20 assists (at Phoenix in 1995) and nine rebounds (at Milwaukee in 1992) … Appeared in 15 playoff games during his career, averaging 13.0 points and 2.3 assists per game. Played for Denver from 1990-96, then with the Sacramento Kings from 1996-98 before finishing his career with the Vancouver Grizzlies in the 2000-01 season.

1990 NBA DRAFT
Became the fifth LSU men’s basketball player to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft, as the Denver Nuggets took him as the third overall pick … Joined “Pistol” Pete Maravich (No. 3 by Atlanta Hawks, 1970), Howard Carter (No. 15 by Denver Nuggets, 1983), Jerry Reynolds (No. 22 by Milwaukee Bucks, 1985) and John Williams (No. 12 by Washington Bullets, 1986) as LSU’s all-time NBA first-round picks (through 1990) … Later, Stanley Roberts (No. 23 by Orlando Magic, 1991), Shaquille O’Neal (No. 1 by Orlando Magic, 1992), Geert Hammink (No. 26 by Orlando Magic, 1993) and Stromile Swift (No. 2 by Vancouver Grizzlies, 2000) were selected in the first round.

SOPHOMORE SEASON (1989-90)
Left LSU after his sophomore season to pursue a career in professional basketball … Named a First-Team All-American by the AP, United States Basketball Writers Association and Naismith … Named to the All-America Second Team by the UPI, Basketball Times, Basketball Weekly and The Sporting News … A unanimous First-Team All-SEC selection by the AP and Coaches, while being named the SEC Player of the Year for the second-straight time by the AP, UPI and Coaches … Scored double figures in 63 of 64 career games, with more than 20 points 52 times, more than 30 points 28 times, more than 40 points 11 times and more than 50 points four times … Led the Southeastern Conference in scoring (27.8) and free throw percentage (191 of 210, 91.0), while ranking second in three-pointers per game (2.8) … Set school records for single-game three-pointers (10 vs. Tennessee on Feb. 10, 1990), career three-pointers (172 from 1988-90), single-season three-point attempts (246 in 1989-90), career three-point attempts (462 from 1988-90), consecutive free throws made (35) and single-season free throw percentage (.9095 in 1989-90) … Finished his career ranked sixth in LSU history in scoring (1,854), second in scoring average (29.0), sixth in field goals made (664), eighth in free throws made (354), second in free-throw percentage (86.3) and fifth in three-point field goal percentage (37.2).

FRESHMAN SEASON (1988-89)
Recorded the best freshman season in the history of NCAA basketball, as he set the NCAA record for points by a freshman (965), average points by a freshman (30.2) and single-game points by a freshman (55 at Ole Miss on March 4, 1989) … Became the second freshman to make the Associated Press All-America First Team and the first to be named All-America by the United States Basketball Writers of America … Also garnered First-Team All-America honors from The Sporting News and the United Press International … Became the first Tiger since Rudy Macklin (1981) to be named First-Team All-America … Was a finalist for the Eastman Award and was third in voting for the AP National Player of the Year award … Named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year by the AP, UPI and the Coaches, and was a member of the Knoxville News-Sentinal SEC All-Freshman Team … Won five Jefferson Pilot Rookie of the Week awards and three JP Player of the Week awards .. Was also the ESPN co-Sports Person of the Week and Sports Illustrated Player of the Week … Won Dick Vitale’s “Windex Player of the Week” award … Led the SEC in scoring (30.2) and free-throw percentage (81.5) … Twice set Maravich Assembly Center scoring records, hitting 48 against Louisiana Tech on Dec. 6, 1988, and then 50 against Tennessee on Feb. 11, 1989 … Was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated on Feb. 20, 1989, and on the cover of The Sporting News … His SEC scoring title was the 12th in LSU basketball history since 1933 … Scored 48 points in the third game of his collegiate career against Louisiana Tech, hitting 18-of-29 field goals … Two games later, scored 53 against Florida behind a 16-of-17 performance at the free throw line … Became the first LSU player since “Pistol” Pete Maravich to score 50 points in a game … Set the school record for single-game three-pointers and three-pointers attempted (9 of 20) at Ole Miss on March 4 … Posted one double double with 48 points and 10 assists against Florida on March 1, 1989.

PRE-LSU
Earned McDonald’s, Parade and Dapper-Dan All-America honors at Gulfport High School in Gulfport, Miss. … Named the Mississippi Player of the Year in 1987-88 and the Gatorade Mississippi State Player of the Year … Averaged 29.9 points and 5.7 assists during his senior season … Also participated in track and field.

PERSONAL
Nicknamed “C.J.” … Mother is Jacqueline Jackson … Has two brothers, David and Omar … Born March 9, 1969.

CAREER STATS