Jerry Stackhouse made a bold claim about his place in NBA history. The 49-year-old asserted that he belonged among the elite players and even called himself an unstoppable force on the court. While his statements garnered some skepticism, they earned a seal of approval from Shaquille O’Neal.
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It all started when Stackhouse appeared on the All The Smoke podcast in late 2022. In one segment, the panel discussed his impressive 2000/01 season average of 29.8 points per game with the Detroit Pistons. This soon prompted co-host Matt Barnes to chime in with an interesting stat line.
Barnes reminded Stackhouse that he was one of eight NBA players from the 2000s to average over 29 points in a single season. This also placed him in elite company alongside O’Neal, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady, and Dwyane Wade.
This filled Stackhouse with a sense of pride. He went on to describe himself as a formidable opponent and spoke about his competitive mindset.
“I told you nobody stop me. It’s like man I already had a 20 before I got off the bus.”
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Stackhouse’s statement resurfaced on Instagram as a digital creator used this clip to create a dedicated highlight reel for him. The post gained traction online and eventually caught Shaq’s attention. ‘The Diesel’ immediately backed up Stackhouse’s words by sharing the post on his story.
Shaq reminds everyone of Jerry Stackhouse pic.twitter.com/3Z6gPlz1Xp
— What are (W)NBA Celebs Upto? (@NBACelebsUpdate) September 22, 2024
Shaq‘s belief was well-placed. Stackhouse entered the NBA as one of the brightest prospects around. He quickly made his mark by earning a spot on the 1996 All-Rookie First Team. His meteoric rise began shortly after. This saw him averaging over 21 points per game by the early 2000s.
The North Carolina-born soon played a crucial role in helping the Dallas Mavericks reach the 2006 NBA Finals. This marked the franchise’s deepest-ever postseason run back then and set the stage for a showdown against O’Neal’s Heat. Although the Mavs ultimately lost the series, Stackhouse made his presence felt with an average of 12.8 points per game.
These instances add volume to Stackhouse’s greatness. However, there’s also a counterargument to consider regarding his legacy.
Many believe Stackhouse took too long to find his footing in the NBA and didn’t quite live up to his potential. For context, it took him six years to earn his first All-Star selection, and he only made it twice in his 18-year career. His performances often lacked consistency, which led to him becoming more of a role player in the latter part of his journey.
As a result, he didn’t win a championship like O’Neal, James, KD, Bryant, and D-Wade. Meanwhile, his inconsistent performances kept him from reaching the Hall of Fame caliber that players like McGrady and Iverson eventually achieved.
