New York Knicks: 25 Greatest Players of All-Time

16. Mark Jackson

There haven’t been many facilitators who were better than Mark Jackson. That much was made clear during his rookie season, when he dished out 10.6 assists per game for the New York Knicks.

Between his court vision and his leadership, Jackson remains one of the most popular players in Knicks history.

Jackson, a local product of the St. John’s Red Storm, burst onto the scene by winning Rookie of the Year. His 10.6 assists and 2.5 steals were remarkable numbers for any player, let alone a rookie, but that was only half of the story.

Jackson played seven of his 17 seasons with the Knicks, serving as a pacemaker and a tone-setter in New York.

He helped the team return to the playoffs, facilitating a jump from 24 wins to 38 in 1987-88. From there, he ran point for a number of postseason teams and played a major role in developing the Knicks’ identity.

At No. 4 all-time on the career assists list, Jackson doesn’t need many accolades to explain how great he was.

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