Mookie Blaylock

American basketball point guard renowned as one of the NBA's greatest defensive players and premier steal artists during the 1990s

Daron Oshay Blaylock was born in Garland, Texas in 1967 and attended the University of Oklahoma. New Jersey Nets selected him 12th overall in the 1989 NBA Draft. His 11-season career produced 13.5 points, 6.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game along with two All-Star appearances. He won the steals title twice and was named to the All-NBA Defensive First Team four times. He averaged over 2.0 steals per game across his career — one of the highest career steals averages in NBA history. The rock band Pearl Jam named themselves Mookie Blaylock before changing to Pearl Jam — and his debut album Ten referenced his jersey number. He was the defensive fulcrum of Atlanta Hawks teams that reached multiple playoff rounds in the 1990s alongside Dominique Wilkins and Steve Smith. His reading of passing lanes — anticipating opponents' intentions before they occurred — was described by coaches as the finest perimeter defensive instinct they had coached. He suffered serious injuries in a car accident in 2013 that affected his post-basketball life. Despite never winning a championship or receiving the broader recognition of some contemporaries, within the basketball community his defensive reputation remains exceptional.

Tenacious defender, quick hands, solid playmaker

One of the greatest steal artists in NBA history

• All-Star 2x
• All-NBA Defensive First Team 4x
• Steals Champion 2x