Last Updated on April 14, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Here’s detailed information about Jamaal Tinsley:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Jamaal Lee Tinsley
  • Nationality: American
  • Age: Born February 28, 1978
  • Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
  • Height: 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 meters)
  • Weight: 195 lbs (88 kg)
  • Wingspan: 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 meters)
  • Shoe Size: Size 12 (US)
  • Jersey Numbers: Wore #11 and #6 during his career
  • Position: Point Guard
  • High School: Samuel J. Tilden High School (Brooklyn, New York)
  • College:
    • Started at Mount San Jacinto College (California)
    • Transferred to Iowa State University (1999–2001)
    • Achievements: Led Iowa State to the Elite Eight in 2000
  • NBA Draft
    • Draft Year: 2001
    • Draft Position: 27th overall pick by the Indiana Pacers
  • Teams Played For
    1. Indiana Pacers (2001–2008)
    2. Memphis Grizzlies (2009)
    3. Utah Jazz (2011–2013)
  • Championship Rings
    • NBA Championships: None
  • Kids: Not widely documented publicly
  • Siblings: Not widely documented publicly

Jamaal Tinsley’s player archetype was that of a crafty floor-general point guard, a pass-first table-setter who controlled tempo, probed defenses off the dribble, and created offense more through vision, patience, and deception than pure burst. Defensively, he was more of a positional guard than a stopper, using anticipation, active hands, and feel to bother opposing ball-handlers rather than overwhelming them with size or athletic force. Offensively, his main role was to run the team, deliver pick-and-roll reads, feed scorers in rhythm, and keep the ball moving, while still mixing in pull-up scoring and improvisational shot creation when possessions broke down. Physically, Tinsley had solid size for a lead guard with a lean build and good change-of-pace control, and his overall play style blended streetball creativity with structured point-guard orchestration, making him an inventive distributor whose game was built on touch, handle, and timing more than power. (NBA)

Sources:

Indiana Pacers — Mark’s Mailbag: Tracking Rookies’ Development, Crunch Time Execution
Bleacher Report — Greatest Floor General in the History of Every NBA Team
Indiana Pacers — Building a Franchise, One Draft at a Time