Stephen Jackson

Stephen Jackson, born on April 5, 1978, in Houston, Texas, and raised in Port Arthur, Texas, endured a challenging upbringing with his single mother working two jobs. As a teenager, he worked at his grandfather’s soul food restaurant. A pivotal moment in his early life was the tragic death of his half-brother at age 25, which deeply influenced his protective nature toward his teammates later in his career. Jackson led Lincoln High School to a state championship in his junior year. He later earned All-American honors at Oak Hill Academy in 1996 and was the leading scorer in the 1996 McDonald’s All-American Boys Game, featuring future NBA stars like Kobe Bryant. Despite a commitment to the University of Arizona, academic ineligibility led him to Butler County Community College, though he did not play basketball there. His talent was recognized during pickup games with the Phoenix Suns, leading to him being drafted.

Jackson was drafted 42nd overall in the 1997 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns but did not play for them initially. His professional career began with stints in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) with the La Crosse Bobcats, and internationally with the Sydney Kings in Australia and teams in Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. He averaged 22.8 points, 3.9 assists, and 3 steals per game in Venezuela in 1999. Jackson made his NBA debut in the 2000–01 season with the New Jersey Nets, where he averaged 8.2 points per game. He then joined the San Antonio Spurs, where he became a key player and won an NBA championship in 2003, averaging 12.8 points per game during the playoffs. His career continued with the Atlanta Hawks in 2003–04, where he achieved a career-high 42 points against the Washington Wizards and maintained averages of 18.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. He was traded to the Indiana Pacers in 2004.

During his time with the Indiana Pacers from 2004 to 2007, Jackson averaged 18.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in his first season. He was notably involved in “The Malice at the Palace” incident in 2004, resulting in a 30-game suspension. In 2007, he was traded to the Golden State Warriors, where he became a team captain and achieved his first career triple-double in 2009 with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. He then moved to the Charlotte Bobcats in 2009 and set a franchise record with 43 points against the Houston Rockets. Jackson had a brief and tumultuous period with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2011–12 before returning to the San Antonio Spurs, where he played a crucial role in their playoff run in 2012, showcasing defensive prowess against Kevin Durant. He concluded his NBA playing career with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2013–14, retiring in 2015 after earning over $68.6 million in salary. Post-NBA, Jackson joined the BIG3 basketball league as a player for the Killer 3s and later coached Trilogy to back-to-back championships in 2021 and 2022, securing Coach of the Year and “Trash Talker Of The Year” awards in 2021. He also co-hosts the digital video podcast “All the Smoke with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson.”