Utah Jazz alumni: Jamaal Tinsley officially announces retirement

Former Utah Jazz point guard and 11-year NBA veteran Jamaal Tinsley officially called it a career via Twitter this week.

If you’re a longtime fan of the Utah Jazz, the five-by-five (5×5) is a statistical concept you’re well familiar with. That’s the rare distinction given when a player registers a total of five or more in the five basic statistical categories, i.e. points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals. Jazz legend Andrei Kirilenko was once called the master of the 5×5, having accomplished the feat three times from 2003 to ’06.

In fact, over the last 23 years, only five players have a logged a 5×5. Surprisingly, AK47 isn’t the only former Jazzman to have pulled it off. On November 16, 2001, Jamaal Tinsley did it as a member of the Indiana Pacers. Fast-forward to now and Tinsley is officially calling it a career.

The 40-year-old, who played his last 111 NBA games with the Jazz over parts of three seasons, took to Twitter on Tuesday to announce his retirement.

Among those offering congrats to the former point guard on a great career was Jazz assistant coach Johnnie Bryant and fellow Iowa State alum turned Jazz forward Georges Niang —

Tinsley’s last taste of NBA action came in November of 2013.

By the time he made his way to Utah, he was in the twilight of his career and injuries had done a number on him. In his heyday with Indy, though, he was one of the more versatile guards in the Association. Shooting was never a strength, although he did pull this off as a Jazzman —

What Tinsley could do was handle the rock, run an offense, get into the paint, defend and even corral rebounds from the backcourt. Over seven years with the Pacers, he averaged 10 points, seven assists, over three rebounds and just under two steals per contest.

In 2004, he was a key cog on the Pacers squad that reached the Eastern Conference Finals before falling in six games to the eventual-champion Detroit Pistons.

He would miss two of three seasons after wrapping his Pacers run in 2008, with his only action coming with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2009-10. He would eventually find his way to Utah, with whom he started in 38 games. Most of those came during the 2012-13 season in relief of an injured Mo Williams.