Jamaal Lee Tinsley (born February 28, 1978) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...

(NBA). Tinsley played

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

for the

Iowa State Cyclones The Iowa State Cyclones are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Iowa State University, located in Ames. The university is a member of the Big 12 Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 16 varsity teams (6 men's an ...

. Following his senior year, he was drafted by the

Vancouver Grizzlies The Vancouver Grizzlies were a Canadian professional basketball team based in Vancouver. They were part of the Midwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team was established in 1995, along w ...

with the 27th pick of the

2001 NBA draft The 2001 NBA draft took place on June 27, 2001 in New York City, New York. Kwame Brown became the first high school player to be drafted with the first overall pick in the history of the NBA. The selection of Kwame Brown by the Washington Wizards, ...

, and was immediately dealt to the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Sou ...

, and then to the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...

on draft night. Tinsley played 11 seasons in the NBA, primarily with the Pacers, as well as the Grizzlies and Jazz.

Early years and college career

As a teen, Tinsley developed his game playing

streetball Streetball (or street basketball) is a variation of basketball, typically played on outdoor courts and featuring significantly less formal structure and enforcement of the game's rules. As such, its format is more conducive to allowing players ...

at New York City's

Rucker Park Greg Marius Court at Holcombe Rucker Park is a basketball court in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, at 155th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard, just east of the former Polo Grounds site. It is geographically at the base of a large cliff ...

. Tinsley's streetball nickname is "Mel The Abuser". He played junior college ball at Mt. San Jacinto Community College (MSJC) before breaking onto the national scene in the

Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its ...

Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...

.Breaking Away: The Jamaal Tinsley Story
In Tinsley's junior year with the

Cyclones In meteorology, a cyclone () is a large air mass that rotates around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure, counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere as viewed from above (opposite to an anti ...

, he was named the Big 12 Player of the Year. He led Iowa State to a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The team, along with fellow star

Marcus Fizer Darnell Marcus Lamar Fizer (born August 10, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player. High school career Fizer played high school basketball at Arcadia High School in Arcadia, Louisiana. As a senior, Fizer was selected to play ...

, reached the Elite Eight before losing to eventual champion Michigan State. In his senior year, Tinsley earned first-team All-American honors from the NABC.

NBA career

Indiana Pacers (2001–2009)

Tinsley established himself as the starting point guard under Pacers coach

Isiah Thomas Isiah Lord Thomas III (born April 30, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player and coach who is an analyst for ''NBA TV''. The 12-time NBA All-Star was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History as well as the 75 Grea ...

. He put up statistics of 9.4 points and 8.1 assists per game in 2001–02. On November 16, 2001, he recorded the 9th

five-by-five In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: point (basketball), points, rebound (basketball), rebounds, assist (basketball), assists ...

in NBA history since the 1985–86 season. At 23 years and 261 days, he was the youngest to do so until Andrei Kirilenko in 2003. Tinsley played 73 games for the Pacers in 2002–03, starting 69 of them, and his averages dipped to 7.8 points and 7.5 assists per contest. The following year,

Rick Carlisle Richard Preston Carlisle ( ; born October 27, 1959) is an American basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has previously served as head coach of the Detroi ...

replaced Thomas as the Pacers' head coach, and promoted veteran guard Kenny Anderson to the starting point guard slot, with Anthony Johnson as his backup. When Anderson and Johnson went down with injuries, Tinsley regained his status as a starter. As the Pacers advanced to the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals, Tinsley started all 16 playoff games. Tinsley spent the majority of the 2004–05 season on injured reserve due to a bruised left foot, but the team played its way to a 44–38 record and the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. Tinsley missed the first four games of the Pacers' first-round series against the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

, but made a return in a Game 5 victory. In that game on May 3, 2005, Tinsley made seven assists, five steals, and six points, and the five steals tied the most among all players during the 2005 postseason and his personal best for the playoffs. Tinsley's injury problems continued during the 2007–08 season; he only played in 39 games, during which he averaged a career-high 8.4 assists. For the 2008–09 season, Tinsley was replaced in the starting lineup by point guard

T. J. Ford Terrance Jerod Ford Sr. (born March 24, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player. Having been awarded numerous top basketball accolades in high school and college, Ford entered the 2003 NBA draft and was selected eighth overall ...

. O'Brien and Pacers' President of Basketball Operations

Larry Bird Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded a ...

told Tinsley he would not play for the Pacers again and would be traded as soon as possible, then shipped his personal items to Tinsley's home in Atlanta. Tinsley then requested a contract buyout through his agent. Because of the situation where Indiana's insistence on trading and not outright waiving Tinsley meant that no other team offered Indiana anything of value to acquire him (knowing that the Pacers would eventually have to part ways with Tinsley and then he could be picked up at no cost), the NBA Players Association filed a grievance against the Pacers on Tinsley's behalf on February 11, 2009. On July 22, 2009, the Pacers waived Tinsley.

Memphis Grizzlies (2009–2010)

On November 14, 2009, the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...

signed Tinsley as a free agent.

Chris Wallace Christopher Wallace (born October 12, 1947) is an American broadcast journalist. He is known for his tough and wide-ranging interviews, for which he is often compared to his father, ''60 Minutes'' journalist Mike Wallace. Over his 50-year care ...

, the General Manager of the Grizzlies, stated that he "was the best available player out on the board." The Grizzlies did not guarantee Tinsley a starting spot, but told him he would be allowed to compete for the point guard position.

Los Angeles D-Fenders (2011)

On November 3, 2011, Tinsley was picked 1st overall by the

Los Angeles D-Fenders LOS, or Los, or LoS may refer to: Science and technology * Length of stay, the duration of a single episode of hospitalisation * Level of service, a measure used by traffic engineers * Level of significance, a measure of statistical significance ...

in the NBA Development League Draft. Tinsley played eight games with the D-Fenders and averaged 9.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game.

Utah Jazz (2011–2013)

On December 12, 2011, Tinsley was signed by the Utah Jazz, along with

Keith McLeod Keith McLeod (born November 5, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player and current varsity boys basketball head coach at East Canton High School in Canton, Ohio. He is tall. He has also played in the NBA for the Minnesota Timbe ...

, and

Trey Gilder George "Trey" Gilder III (born January 24, 1985) is an American professional basketball player for Indios de Mayagüez of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). He played college basketball for McNeese State, Tyler Junior College and Northwester ...

. On June 29, 2012, the Jazz exercised the team option on Tinsley's contract to keep him under contract for one more season. On October 26, 2013, he re-signed with the Jazz. He would only play 8 games with the team and on November 12, 2013, he was waived by the Jazz. Tinsley's final NBA game was during his 8-game span with the Utah Jazz as his final game was played on November 11, 2013 (the day before he was waived) in a 81 - 100 loss to the Denver Nuggets. In his final game, Tinsley recorded 3 assists and 1 rebound but no points.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, 80 , , 78 , , 30.5 , , .380 , , .240 , , .704 , , 3.7 , , 8.1 , , 1.7 , , .5 , , 9.4 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 73 , , 69 , , 30.6 , , .396 , , .277 , , .714 , , 3.6 , , 7.5 , , 1.7 , , .2 , , 7.8 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 52 , , 43 , , 26.5 , , .414 , , .372 , , .731 , , 2.6 , , 5.8 , , 1.6 , , .3 , , 8.3 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 40 , , 40 , , 32.5 , , .418 , , .372 , , .744 , , 4.0 , , 6.4 , , 2.0 , , .3 , , 15.4 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 42 , , 27 , , 26.7 , , .409 , , .229 , , .637 , , 3.2 , , 5.0 , , 1.2 , , .1 , , 9.3 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 72 , , 72 , , 31.2 , , .389 , , .316 , , .720 , , 3.3 , , 6.9 , , 1.6 , , .3 , , 12.8 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 39 , , 36 , , 33.2 , , .380 , , .284 , , .720 , , 3.6 , , 8.4 , , 1.7 , , .3 , , 11.9 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

, 38 , , 1 , , 15.5 , , .371 , , .179 , , .815 , , 1.7 , , 2.8 , , .9 , , .1 , , 3.5 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

, 37 , , 1 , , 13.7 , , .404 , , .270 , , .765 , , 1.2 , , 3.3 , , .5 , , .2 , , 3.7 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 66 , , 32 , , 18.5 , , .368 , , .307 , , .692 , , 1.7 , , 4.4 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , 3.5 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 8 , , 5 , , 13.8 , , .200 , , .067 , , .000 , , 1.4 , , 2.9 , , .3 , , .0 , , 1.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 547 , , 404 , , 26.6 , , .393 , , .299 , , .716 , , 2.9 , , 6.1 , , 1.4 , , .3 , , 8.5

Playoffs

, - , align="left" , 2002 , align="left" ,

, 5 , , 5 , , 17.6 , , .421 , , .000 , , .667 , , 2.0 , , 5.0 , , .4 , , .0 , , 3.6 , - , align="left" , 2003 , align="left" ,

, 6 , , 6 , , 30.8 , , .571 , , .615 , , .500 , , 3.0 , , 6.5 , , .7 , , .0 , , 8.5 , - , align="left" , 2004 , align="left" ,

, 16 , , 16 , , 26.4 , , .398 , , .296 , , .938 , , 2.9 , , 5.0 , , 1.8 , , .2 , , 8.1 , - , align="left" , 2005 , align="left" ,

, 9 , , 9 , , 27.4 , , .360 , , .111 , , .571 , , 3.3 , , 5.7 , , 1.6 , , .3 , , 8.7 , - , align="left" , 2006 , align="left" ,

, 1 , , 0 , , 7.0 , , .333 , , .000 , , .000 , , .0 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , 2.0 , - , align="left" , 2012 , align="left" ,

, 4 , , 0 , , 16.3 , , .250 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , .5 , , 3.0 , , .5 , , .0 , , 3.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 41 , , 36 , , 24.8 , , .398 , , .293 , , .720 , , 2.6 , , 5.1 , , 1.2 , , .1 , , 7.1

References

External links

Jamaal Tinsley biography
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tinsley, Jamaal 1978 births Living people African-American basketball players All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from New York City Indiana Pacers players Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball players Junior college men's basketball players in the United States Los Angeles D-Fenders players Memphis Grizzlies players Point guards Samuel J. Tilden High School alumni Sportspeople from Brooklyn Street basketball players Utah Jazz players Vancouver Grizzlies draft picks 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American sportspeople