Nikki Sixx
A quiet architect of modern basketball, he shaped the game from the Knicks bench to the NBA's executive offices and collegiate conferences.
Born 1958 (age 68)·American musician·Birthday: December 11·Baby Boomers
Biography
Stu Jackson's basketball life is a study in behind-the-scenes influence. A standout guard at the University of Oregon, his playing career was cut short by injury, forcing a pivot that defined his legacy. He transitioned swiftly to coaching, becoming, at 33, one of the youngest head coaches in NBA history for the New York Knicks. Though his tenure was brief, it led him to a broader stage. Jackson found his true calling as an executive and rule-maker. As the NBA's senior vice president of basketball operations for over a decade, he was the league's chief on-court disciplinarian and a key figure in implementing major rule changes, including the dress code and the instant replay system. His deep understanding of the game's ecosystem led him to the collegiate level, where he now serves as Commissioner of the West Coast Conference, guiding its athletic programs.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Nikki was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Nikki Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Nikki's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the NBA's Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, overseeing all on-court discipline and competition rules.
- Became the head coach of the New York Knicks at age 33, making him one of the youngest coaches in NBA history at the time.
- Was the first general manager and second head coach of the Vancouver Grizzlies franchise.
- Appointed Commissioner of the West Coast Conference in 2023, leading a Division I athletic conference.
Did You Know?
He was a teammate of future Hall of Famer Ron Lee on the Oregon Ducks basketball team.
Jackson coached the University of Wisconsin–Madison men's basketball team for two seasons before moving to the NBA.
He played professional basketball briefly in France for Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez.
He served as a studio analyst for ESPN and ABC's NBA coverage before returning to an executive role.
“We played rock and roll like a street fight.”
