In the early 90s, the NBA witnessed the rise of the Dallas trio - Jason Kidd, Jim Jackson, and Jamal Mashburn - who became the focus of attention for the Mavericks at the time. Known as the "3J" or "Three Musketeers," their combination was quite cool. Let's rewind to 1992, a year when most readers might not have been born yet.
During the 1991-92 season, the Dallas Mavericks had a disappointing record of 22 wins and 60 losses. In the 1992 draft, they selected Jim Jackson from Ohio State with the fourth pick; in 1993, they chose Jamal Mashburn with the same pick.
Despite this, the Mavericks only managed two more victories than the previous year in the 1993-94 season, remaining at the bottom of the Western Conference. However, the duo of Jackson and Mashburn began to show their potential, both averaging over 19 points per game.
Then, in the 1994 draft, Kidd from the University of California was selected by the Mavericks with the second overall pick.
In the 1994-95 season, the first year of the Dallas 3J, things seemed to be turning around. In their first season together, the Mavericks achieved a record of 36 wins and 46 losses, which was still not high, but they had won 23 more games than the previous year.
Kidd averaged 11.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game in his rookie season, recording four triple-doubles and becoming the league's triple-double king that year - a feat less common in the NBA back then.
At the end of the season, Kidd shared the Rookie of the Year award with a classmate - guess who?
Besides Kidd's impressive performance, that year Jim Jackson averaged 25.7 points, and Mashburn 24.1 points, showcasing remarkable offensive power. The "3J" combination filled fans with anticipation.
So, what happened to the "3J" combo later? Did they make a championship comeback?
Unfortunately, no, instead, they parted ways unhappily.
Early in the 1995-96 season, problems arose between Jackson and Mashburn. Both felt the other was playing selfishly, sometimes not passing to each other on the court and engaging in individual play. Kidd wasn't without fault either, reportedly voicing his belief that he should be the team's leader.
More dramatically, an incident involving a woman escalated the internal conflict.
It is rumored that on a December day in 1995, the fiery singer Toni Braxton planned to date Kidd in Atlanta. Witnesses claimed that Braxton's luxury car appeared at the hotel where the Mavericks were staying on the day of the game, but the player who got into the car was not Kidd, but his teammate Jim Jackson!
Even stranger, it's said that Mashburn also developed feelings for Braxton. What happens when three men are infatuated with the same woman? How can they continue to play together?
Later, both Jim Jackson and Kidd denied dating Braxton. So, could the rumors about the "beauty as a source of trouble" be false?
Maybe they are false, but whether true or not is no longer important, as the damage has already been done.
During the 1995-1996 season, at first glance, the "3J" stats shone individually, but upon closer inspection, the team only managed 26 wins for the season, indicating a decline. Such a poor record caused the team management to gradually lose patience with them.
Next, in the 1996-97 season, the 3J combo faced disintegration, with each being traded away -
On December 26, 1996, Kidd was traded to the Suns; on February 14, 1997, Mashburn was traded to the Heat; just three days later, Jackson was traded to the Nets.
The "3J" were just beginning to show signs of reaching their peak when they were shown the door by the team, reflecting the management's determination to change the status quo and their pessimism about this combination.
Each of them possessed unique skills, and if they had cooperated wholeheartedly without personal agendas, they could have achieved great results. However, perhaps due to their competitive personalities, they couldn't work together, leading to their eventual breakup.
The so-called rumors of "beauty as a source of trouble" may have added drama to the "3J" story.