Just like Michael, Jerry Stackhouse was an alumnus of the University of North Carolina. He was picked third overall in the NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. Height at 6’6” and weighing 218 lbs, his size was similar and he also shares similar skill set to Michael’s. Not only were the two highly touted prospects during their respective draft classes—they were showmen. They could easily awe the crowd with their athleticism and thunderous dunks.
The future looked bright for Jerry as he averaged 19.2 points per game right out of the gate and was named to the All-Rookie First Team. The next year, the talented Stackhouse was paired with future Hall of Famer Allen Iverson. Together, the two torched the league for an average of 44 points a night.
As much as the backcourt of Stackhouse and Iverson sounded like a highlight reel factory, the two were simply not a good fit. While they were scoring machines, they were not efficient scorers, did not play much defense, and were black holes in offense as they did not pass as much as they should.
Midway in the 1997-1998 season, Stackhouse, along with fellow North Carolina alum Eric Montross, was shipped to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Aaron McKie, Theo Ratliff, and a future first-round draft pick. While the 76ers lost out in the offensive department, they acquired two key pieces in McKie and Ratliff, who would bolster their defense.
Just like in Philadelphia, Stackhouse continued to be an offensive threat in Detroit and averaged a career-high 29.8 points at one point. While Jerry was able to reach the playoffs in his Pistons stint, they never got that deep into it. Pistons management decided to switch to a new direction and they traded Jerry to the Washington Wizards in a six-player swap. The Detroit Pistons sent Jerry Stackhouse, Brian Cardinal, and Ratko Varda to the Wizards in exchange for Richard Hamilton, Bobby Simmons, and Hubert Davis. While the trade was initially deemed as highway robbery by the Wizards, the Pistons eventually made two NBA Finals appearances and captured one NBA Championship with Hamilton. The Wizards never even made the playoffs with the pairing of Michael Jordan and Jerry Stackhouse.