Before Their Time Vol. 2
In the NBA’s history, players have paved the way for the things we see on the regular today. Back then, those players weren’t as appreciated.
To continue this illustrious series that I started over two years ago *insert MJ “I’m Back” meme*, I wanted to shed light on one of the most versatile center the NBA has ever seen in Antwan Jamison. Jamison, who was selected fourth overall in the 1998 NBA Draft out of North Carolina, was a 6'9" Power Forward who could also play the three.
Drafted by Golden State, where he would spend the first five years of his career, Antwan was an automatic bucket for the Warriors. He showcased early on that his skillset as a finesse big and a great rebounder, that could stretch the floor, would have him in the league for a long time. His best year came in year three (2000–2001: 24.9 PPG & 8.7 RPG). This season includes a two-game stretch of him dropping 51 against the Seattle and Lakers.
Receiving All-Rookie honors in 1999, Jamison never received any All-Star nods in Golden State, he also didn’t see much winning. During the 2003–2004 season, Jamison got his first taste of winning. He was traded to the Dallas Mavericks to play alongside Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash. Despite having a much smaller role, Jamison meshed well with his new teammates averaging 14.8 PPG & 6.3 RPG, winning his first and only Sixth Man of the Year award.
Fast forward to the 04'-05' season and Jamison would find himself traded again. This time, to the Washington Wizards. This trade reunited him with Guard Gilbert Arenas, his teammate with the Golden State Warriors. Being traded twice in six years could set back many players who feel they’re being undervalued and overlooked. But for Jamison, it only fueled his fire and aspirations to be great.
Jamison played in Washington for six seasons. This is where we got to see the best of him. Although he never averaged more than he did in Golden State, he finally found a home. In Washington, he was a two-time All-Star (2004-05, 2007-08) and consistently made the playoffs with a Wizards team that made a lot of noise in the East, but ultimately couldn’t get over the hump. His career averages of (20.8 & 8.9) prove that he was a walking double-double on most nights.
When you think of the many stretch bigs that have blessed us with their presence, Antwan Jamison isn’t brought up nearly enough as he should be. The stats and consistency in both Golden State and Washington are telltale signs of how great he was. Even with his brief stint in Cleveland (2009–2011: 17.3 & 6.7), he was still a valuable asset night in and night out. Hopefully, the Hall comes knocking for AJ, as he is one of two NBA players with over 20,000 career points to not be elected.
