NICKNAME/S: PJC

BIO: Parker Jackson-Cartwright was born and raised in Los Angeles, California (USA), where he attended Loyola High School and played junior basketball with the school’s basketball program.

In 2011, Jackson-Cartwright was named California Freshman of the Year and earned First Team All-CIF Southern Section honours.

As a sophomore in 2012, he earned another First Team All-CIF Southern Section selection, along with Cal-Hi Sports All-State Third Team honours and First Team All-Sophomore recognition.

During his junior season in 2012/13, Jackson-Cartwright missed 12 games due to a stress fracture. Parker Jackson-Cartwright (15 points and 8 assists per game) returned to earn MaxPreps Junior All-American Honourable Mention recognition, Cal-Hi Sports All-State Junior Second Team honours and another All-CIF Southern Section selection.

Jackson-Cartwright was selected to attend the NBPA Top 100 Camp, CP3 Elite Guard Camp, LeBron James Skills Academy and Nike Global Challenge during his junior development.

In February 2014, Jackson-Cartwright withdrew from Loyola High School following academic issues and transferred to Sierra Canyon School, where he completed his secondary education without playing another high school basketball game.

Jackson-Cartwright remained a highly rated college prospect, ranked No. 32 nationally and No. 5 among point guards by Scout, while Rivals ranked him No. 51 overall and 247Sports ranked him No. 62 nationally.

He subsequently accepted a scholarship to attend the University of Arizona, joining the Wildcats ahead of the 2014/15 NCAA season.

Jackson-Cartwright also releases punk rock and hip-hop music under the name Blvck Minoh. In December 2023, he announced he was working on his debut extended play, #AGNDA.

FAMILY: Jackson-Cartwright is the son of Belinda and Ramon. His older brother Miles played college basketball at Penn and professionally overseas.

Jackson-Cartwright was named after jazz musicians Charlie Parker and Duke Ellington, reflecting his parents’ interest in jazz music.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Parker Jackson-Cartwright made his NBL debut with the New Zealand Breakers at 28 years of age. He scored 25 points in his first game.

After falling one game short of the NBL championship the previous season, New Zealand entered the off-season prioritising the retention of William McDowell-White and re-signed the guard, while captain Thomas Abercrombie, Cameron Gliddon and Izayah Le’Afa also returned. Finn Delany (via Bonn) returned following a season in Germany, with Mangok Mathiang (via Hapoel Eilat), Dane Pineau (via South East Melbourne) and Next Star Mantas Rubstavicius (via Lietkabelis) added to the roster.

Coach Mody Maor was required to replace the import trio of Barry Brown Jr., Jarrell Brantley and Dererk Pardon, signing Zylan Cheatham (via Bayern Munich), Parker Jackson-Cartwright (via Besiktas) and Justinian Jessup (via Zaragoza). Jackson-Cartwright joined the Breakers on a one-year deal after playing in Turkey and arrived having previously won the French Pro B MVP award in 2021 and German Bundesliga MVP award in 2022. Listed at 5’9” in shoes during his 2018 NBA draft measurements, he became the smallest import in Breakers history.

Jackson-Cartwright made an immediate impact in New Zealand’s opening game against Cairns at Spark Arena, finishing with 25 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, and 6 steals as the Breakers celebrated Abercrombie’s 400th NBL appearance with a 98-87 victory. Cheatham (11 points and 7 rebounds), Jessup (15 points), Delany (18 points) and Mathiang (11 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks) provided support, while Tahjere McCall (19 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals) led Cairns.

Jackson-Cartwright (20 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal) led New Zealand in an 89-84 loss to Brisbane before the Breakers travelled to the United States for two NBLxNBA exhibition games. Jackson-Cartwright (19 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals) top-scored in a 106-66 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on October 11, before adding 19 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks as New Zealand fell 114-94 to the Utah Jazz on October 17.

Jessup’s pelvic injury limited him to two games and led to Anthony Lamb (19.5 points and 6 rebounds) joining the Breakers as an injury replacement following the American trip. Jackson-Cartwright (20.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.9 steals, and 0.1 blocks across 30 games) became New Zealand’s leading scorer and primary playmaker, starting every game and carrying a heavy workload as injuries repeatedly disrupted the roster. His assists average ranked second in the NBL, while he led the competition in steals at 1.9 per game (56 steals across 30 games).

Jackson-Cartwright delivered his first major scoring performance against South East Melbourne on October 28, making 9-of-17 field goals and 14-of-16 free throws to finish with 33 points, 1 rebound, 8 assists, and 1 steal. Delany (21 points and 4 rebounds) and McDowell-White (14 points, 3 assists, and 1 steal) helped New Zealand recover from a 16-point deficit and score 32 points during the fourth quarter, but Alan Williams (21 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 assists), Mitch Creek (20 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) and Gary Browne (18 points and 10 assists) led the Phoenix to a 103-100 win, extending the Breakers’ losing streak to four games.

His next-best regular-season scoring performance came against Illawarra at Spark Arena on February 9, where Jackson-Cartwright (31 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals) shot 13-of-21 from the field and grabbed a crucial late rebound after Tyler Harvey missed an opportunity to tie the game. McDowell-White (16 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists), Rubstavicius (13 points and 3 steals) and Cheatham (12 points and 15 rebounds) supported him, while Harvey (22 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals), Sam Froling (16 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Gary Clark (15 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists) led Illawarra as New Zealand won 88-85 and kept its season alive.

One week later, Jackson-Cartwright (27 points, 2 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) made 10-of-18 from the field as New Zealand defeated Brisbane 103-87 and secured its place in the post-season. Cheatham (19 points), Le’Afa (15 points and 3 steals), Rubstavicius (12 points), Delany (11 points and 3 rebounds) and McDowell-White (8 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists) helped the Breakers shoot 58.5 per cent from the field, overcoming Josh Bannan’s 29 points and 4 rebounds for Brisbane.

Following a 105-76 loss to Sydney on January 14, New Zealand sat at 8-12 and appeared unlikely to return to the post-season. The Breakers recovered to win five of their final eight games and finished the regular season with a 13-15 record. Sydney, New Zealand and Brisbane each finished with the same record, with points percentage placing the Kings fifth, the Breakers sixth and the Bullets seventh.

Lamb and Cheatham (15.3 points and 6.8 rebounds) gave New Zealand two high-level scoring options alongside Jackson-Cartwright, while Rubstavicius (9.4 points) emerged as a dependable perimeter scorer and McDowell-White (9.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.3 assists) provided further playmaking support. Lamb’s season ended when he ruptured his Achilles during New Zealand’s February 4 win over Perth, placing even greater responsibility on Jackson-Cartwright over the closing weeks.

Jackson-Cartwright finished third in NBL MVP voting with 50 votes, behind Chris Goulding (53 votes) and Bryce Cotton (118 votes), and was selected to the All-NBL First Team. Lamb also received All-NBL First Team honours, marking the first time two Breakers had been selected to the team during the same season, while Jackson-Cartwright was named New Zealand’s club MVP.

New Zealand travelled to Qudos Bank Arena to face Sydney in the Play-In Qualifier on February 28, where Jackson-Cartwright (34 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 steal) made 11-of-22 from the field, four three-pointers and 8-of-11 free throws to lead the Breakers to an 83-76 victory. Cheatham (18 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals), McDowell-White (11 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Mathiang (7 points, 10 rebounds, and 1 block) provided support, while Jaylen Adams (18 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal) and DJ Hogg (17 points) led Sydney. The 34-point performance was Jackson-Cartwright’s highest-scoring game of the season and eliminated the two-time defending champions.

The Breakers then faced Illawarra in the second Play-In game on March 4. Jackson-Cartwright (19 points, 9 assists, and 2 steals) played more than 39 minutes but was held to 5-of-17 shooting and committed six turnovers as the Hawks focused their defence on keeping the ball out of his hands. Cheatham (14 points and 9 rebounds), Mathiang (11 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 blocks), Le’Afa (11 points and 3 steals) and Rubstavicius (11 points) kept New Zealand within striking distance, but Justin Robinson (26 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals) and Sam Froling (21 points and 9 rebounds) led Illawarra to an 88-85 victory, ending the Breakers’ season one game short of the semifinals.

2024/25
New Zealand entered the off-season after finishing sixth with a 13-15 record, defeating Sydney 83-76 in the first play-in game before an 88-85 loss to Illawarra ended its season. Anthony Lamb (to Trento), William McDowell-White (to Berlin), Izayah Le’Afa (to Sydney), Justinian Jessup (to Ulm), Finn Delany (to Shizuoka), Mantas Rubstavicius (to Panevezys), Zylan Cheatham (to Nagoya), Mangok Mathiang (to Ningbo), Dan Fotu and Dom Kelman-Poto exited the team, while Thomas Abercrombie and Cameron Gliddon retired.

Parker Jackson-Cartwright returned as New Zealand’s only remaining player who had averaged more than four points per game, with Max Darling, Dane Pineau, Carlin Davison and Alex McNaught also retained. Head coach Mody Maor (to Nagasaki) was replaced by Petteri Koponen (via Helsinki), who added Matt Mooney (via Trento), Mitch McCarron (via Adelaide), Sam Mennenga (via Cairns), Jonah Bolden (via Sydney), Freddie Gillespie (via Belgrade), Grant Anticevich (via Gottingen), Mojave King (via Indiana), Sean Bairstow (via Richmond), Karim Lopez (via Badalona) and Kaia Isaac (via Canterbury).

Parker re-signed with the Breakers on a one-year deal despite Maor’s departure and the significant changes made to the roster. “Breakers, in light of recent events I’d like to put myself out there. I am staying on for the upcoming season,” he said.

New Zealand opened the season at HoopsFest in Perth with a 91-87 win over Brisbane, where Parker (20 points, 3 rebounds, 11 assists, and 1 steal) directed the offence and Mennenga (22 points and 7 rebounds) led the scoring, while Keandre Cook (25 points and 4 rebounds) was Brisbane’s best as the Breakers held on after building a 26-point lead.

Jackson-Cartwright (18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.6 steals across 21 games) again controlled New Zealand’s offence and remained among the league leaders in scoring, assists and steals when available. He started every game he played but missed eight games through a five-game suspension and a rib cartilage injury.

The Breakers improved to 2-0 with an 81-79 win over South East Melbourne at Spark Arena, where Parker (19 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block) helped New Zealand survive a late Phoenix comeback, with Mooney (15 points) and Mennenga (11 points and 9 rebounds) providing support, while Nathan Sobey (24 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) led South East Melbourne.

New Zealand then travelled to the United States for three games against NBA opposition. Parker (16 points, 2 rebounds, 9 assists, and 3 steals) led the Breakers in a 116-87 loss to the Utah Jazz before producing 26 points, 2 assists, and 2 steals in a 139-84 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. He completed the tour with 16 points, 1 rebound, and 8 assists against the Oklahoma City Thunder, averaging 19.3 points and 6.3 assists across the three games.

The Breakers returned to the NBL with a 78-71 loss to Brisbane on October 17, where Parker (20 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals) led New Zealand, while James Batemon (19 points) was Brisbane’s leading scorer. Two nights later, Parker (13 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists, 5 steals, and 1 block) helped the Breakers defeat Perth 89-85, with Mooney (28 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists) leading New Zealand and Tai Webster (20 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists) leading the Wildcats.

New Zealand defeated Sydney 93-89 on October 27 behind Parker (21 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, and 1 steal) and Mooney (24 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals), while Izayah Le’Afa (23 points) led the Kings. The Breakers followed with a 109-82 win over Adelaide, where Parker (25 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals), Lopez (17 points and 7 rebounds) and Mooney (17 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists) led New Zealand, while Montrezl Harrell (25 points and 6 rebounds) was Adelaide’s best.

The Breakers moved to the top of the ladder with a 113-79 win over Melbourne on November 4, where Parker (23 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists), Mennenga (25 points and 4 rebounds) and Lopez (17 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 blocks) led New Zealand, while Flynn Cameron (20 points) was United’s leading scorer. Parker (11 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal) then helped the Breakers defeat Cairns 77-69, with Mooney (15 points and 3 steals) and Mennenga (12 points) providing support, while Rob Edwards (33 points and 5 rebounds) led the Taipans as New Zealand entered the FIBA break sitting second with a 7-3 record.

Gillespie (6.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks across 9 games) requested his release (to Milan) and was replaced by Tacko Fall (via Nanjing), who had travelled with New Zealand during its NBLxNBA tour but was unable to play because of injury. Fall joined the Breakers on a contract through the end of the 2025/26 season.

Parker’s best scoring game came against Perth at RAC Arena on December 1, where he shot 11-of-15 from the field and finished with 34 points, 3 rebounds, 10 assists, and 3 steals. Mennenga (25 points and 8 rebounds) and Anticevich (10 points and 4 rebounds) also contributed for New Zealand, but Bryce Cotton (59 points, 3 rebounds, and 7 assists) produced the highest-scoring NBL performance in nearly 30 years as Perth defeated the Breakers 123-112.

The loss began an eight-game losing streak for New Zealand following the FIBA break. Parker (25 points, 2 rebounds, and 8 assists) led the Breakers in a 111-94 loss to Adelaide on December 14, with Mooney (19 points) providing support, while Kendric Davis (36 points, 5 rebounds, and 9 assists) led the 36ers. Parker (25 points, 3 rebounds, and 8 assists) also led New Zealand in a 92-84 loss to Sydney, where Lopez (18 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Fall (15 points and 9 rebounds) contributed, while Kouat Noi (26 points and 4 rebounds) was Sydney’s leading scorer.

The losing streak continued on Christmas Day when Tasmania defeated New Zealand 97-82, despite Parker finishing with 23 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals. King (12 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Mennenga (11 points and 7 rebounds) supported him, while Jordon Crawford (26 points and 4 assists) led Tasmania. During a stoppage after Parker was pushed by Reuben Te Rangi, he shoved one official and grappled with another before being charged with grabbing, pushing or mishandling a game official and suspended for five games.

The suspension kept Parker out against Cairns on December 31, Perth on January 5, Brisbane on January 8, Illawarra on January 11 and Melbourne on January 13. He returned against Tasmania on January 16 and finished with 8 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals as New Zealand won 85-75, with Mennenga (29 points and 9 rebounds) and Lopez (17 points) leading the Breakers, while Crawford (26 points) was Tasmania’s best.

Parker suffered a blow to his ribs during the fourth quarter against Brisbane in Christchurch on January 24 and left the game before being taken to hospital. He had produced 19 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists, and 1 steal before departing, with Mooney (24 points and 4 assists) and Fall (12 points and 5 rebounds) contributing for New Zealand, while Cook (26 points and 6 assists) led Brisbane to a 93-87 win. Initial X-rays found no broken bones, but further scans revealed a significant rib cartilage injury which ruled him out against Adelaide on January 26, Cairns on February 1 and Illawarra on February 5.

On 24 January 2025, Breakers owner Matt Walsh told Newstalk ZB that the club had offered Jackson-Cartwright the largest contract proposal in franchise history in an attempt to retain him for another season. Walsh said the club had also made its largest-ever offer to keep him before NBL25 and was prepared to improve the offer for NBL26. He acknowledged that Jackson-Cartwright’s five-game suspension for contact with a referee had strained the player’s trust in the NBL and said rebuilding that relationship would form part of the retention effort.

Walsh also said New Zealand needed a stronger core of local players, identifying Finn Delany as a possible recruit while confirming his intention to retain coach Petteri Koponen. He described the possibility of another NBLxNBA tour of the United States for NBL26 as approximately 50/50, a statement of the club’s plans at that time rather than a confirmed future fixture. The comments were made while Jackson-Cartwright was recovering from a rib injury and did not constitute a completed contract. He later left to play for Rytas Vilnius before returning to the Breakers on a two-year deal for NBL26 and NBL27.

Sources: Newstalk ZB radio interview (24 January 2025); NBL summary (28 January 2025).

Mooney (16.1 points, 4.4 assists, and 1.6 steals across 29 games) provided the Breakers’ other primary backcourt threat, while Mennenga (11.7 points and 5.3 rebounds across 29 games), Fall (11.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks across 18 games), Lopez (9.6 points and 4.7 rebounds across 25 games) and King (8.5 points across 17 games) were the other main contributors. Jackson-Cartwright was named among the NBL25 MVP nominees and won New Zealand’s MVP and Members Choice awards, while King was named Defensive Player of the Year and Mennenga’s career-high performance against Tasmania was voted the Fans’ Moment of the Year.

New Zealand won only three of its final 19 games and finished ninth with a 10-19 record, missing the postseason.

The Breakers closed the season at Spark Arena on February 5 with Parker sidelined by the rib cartilage injury, where Fall (16 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks) and Lopez (12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block) led New Zealand, while Tyler Harvey (29 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists) led Illawarra to a 96-82 win.

2025/26
Following a 10-19 season that left New Zealand ninth and outside the playoffs, the Breakers entered 2025/26 without Matt Mooney, Jonah Bolden (to Illawarra), Mojave King (to Cairns), Grant Anticevich (to Belgium), Freddie Gillespie (to Turkey), Tacko Fall (to China), Tai Wynyard, Dane Pineau (retired) and Mitch McCarron (retired), while Sam Mennenga, Karim Lopez, Max Darling, Sean Bairstow and Carlin Davison remained from the previous season’s roster.

After returning as President of Basketball Operations in March 2025, Dillon Boucher worked with second-year head coach Petteri Koponen to rebuild around a stronger New Zealand playing core. In April, Boucher said the Breakers had contacted virtually every New Zealander playing outside New Zealand or Australia, directly or through their agents, with Finn Delany and Yanni Wetzell among the overseas players publicly discussed as potential recruits.

Coach Petteri Koponen returned for a second season and added Reuben Te Rangi (via Tasmania), Izayah Le’Afa (via Sydney), Rob Loe (via Melbourne), Taylor Britt (via Canterbury), imports Izaiah Brockington (via Vancouver) and Rob Baker II (via Germany), with Jack Andrew and Liam Judd joining as development players.

On 23 June 2025, the New Zealand Breakers officially announced Jackson-Cartwright’s return on a two-year contract covering NBL26 and NBL27 after his 2024/25 post-NBL stint with Rytas Vilnius in Lithuania. The signing confirmed reports earlier that June and retained him in Auckland through the 2026/27 season. He entered his third campaign with the club as team captain.

New Zealand opened the season at Spark Arena on 19 September, where Jackson-Cartwright (16 points, 5 rebounds, 12 assists, and 3 steals) directed the offence in a 104-95 loss to Brisbane, with Brockington (16 points) and Mennenga (14 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists) providing support while Casey Prather (27 points) led the Bullets.

Jackson-Cartwright (17.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 1.8 steals across 34 games) started every game, led New Zealand in scoring, assists and steals, and controlled the offence as the Breakers’ primary ball-handler.

Jackson-Cartwright produced a record-setting performance against defending champion Illawarra on 8 October, finishing with 20 points, 6 rebounds, 17 assists, and 2 steals as New Zealand collected its first win with a 117-88 victory. Mennenga (20 points and 8 rebounds) and Te Rangi (18 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists) provided support, while Tyler Harvey (22 points and 6 assists) led the Hawks. His 17 assists set a Breakers single-game record and equalled Damian Keogh’s NBL record for the 40-minute era.

His regular-season scoring high was 26 points, first reached in Brisbane on 22 December when Jackson-Cartwright (26 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) led New Zealand in a 99-85 loss, with Brockington (18 points and 6 rebounds) and Davison (15 points and 7 rebounds) providing support while Tyrell Harrison (22 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks) was Brisbane’s best. He matched the mark against South East Melbourne on 21 January, where Jackson-Cartwright (26 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists) helped the Breakers recover from a 20-point halftime deficit before losing 123-116, with Mennenga (28 points and 5 rebounds) and Brockington (15 points and 4 rebounds) in support while Ian Clark (26 points) led the Phoenix.

Le’Afa (3.5 points across 15 games) suffered a fractured foot in December and was replaced by Tai Webster (via Perth). Webster (7.1 points and 3.1 rebounds across 16 games) provided additional backcourt depth, while Baker II (10 points and 4.8 rebounds across 25 games) suffered a season-ending knee injury in January.

New Zealand closed the regular season at Eventfinda Stadium on 19 February, where Jackson-Cartwright (19 points and 13 assists) controlled a 115-84 win over Cairns, with Mennenga (32 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Davison (15 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists) providing support while Andrew Andrews (24 points and 7 assists) led the Taipans. The victory left the Breakers seventh with a 13-20 record and outside the NBL postseason.

Mennenga (17.8 points and 6.8 rebounds across 28 games) and Jackson-Cartwright were New Zealand’s two leading offensive players, with Brockington (16.1 points and 3.8 rebounds across 33 games), Lopez (11.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals across 31 games), Baker II, Webster, Te Rangi (6.8 points across 34 games) and Davison (5.2 points and 3.3 rebounds across 34 games) providing further support. Jackson-Cartwright earned All-NBL Second Team honours and received the Breakers’ MVP and Members’ Choice awards, while Mennenga won the NBL’s Next Generation Award and Brockington was named the club’s Defensive Player of the Year. New Zealand’s 3-1 Ignite Cup record earned the Breakers a place in the inaugural final against Adelaide on the Gold Coast.

The Ignite Cup Final was played at the Gold Coast Convention Centre on 22 February, where Jackson-Cartwright (29 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals) was named Ignite Cup MVP, with Mennenga (21 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists), Brockington (21 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals), Te Rangi (17 points and 8 rebounds) and Lopez (12 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals) leading New Zealand, while Bryce Cotton (34 points and 9 assists), Zylan Cheatham (21 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 steals) and Nick Rakocevic (21 points and 11 rebounds) were Adelaide’s best as the Breakers won 111-107 to claim the inaugural Ignite Cup and $300,000.

Parker Jackson-Cartwright currently plays for the New Zealand Breakers and has played 91 games in his NBL career. He has averaged 19.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 6.9 assists since entering the league in 2023.

CURRENT CONTRACT:

New Zealand Breakers – 2 Year Deal (2025-27)

CAREER RANKINGS:

– 15th in assists per game.