Stephen Jackson

Stephen Jackson is a former professional basketball player. Stephen Jackson played in the NBA for fourteen seasons until 2014. Similarly, before becoming an NBA great, he had a brief career in foreign leagues.

Jackson has developed a large public image as a result of his efforts outside of the courtroom.

People can sense his presence practically everywhere, from community service to political activism.

Early Years, Family, and Education

Stephen Jackson was born in Houston, Texas, on April 5, 1978. George Aldridge and Judy Jackson, both Texas natives, are his parents.

Judyette, his mother, divorced his father when he was a tiny child, and the two lived in Port Arthur, Texas.

Stephen, Bianca, and Donnie, Stephen’s siblings, remained with their mother and took her surname rather than their father’s.

He also had a step-brother named Donald Buckner Jr., who was about nine years his senior.

He taught him everything he knows, from basketball to public speaking to flirting with girls.

Donald, on the other hand, died as a result of significant injuries acquired in a battle with his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend.

Jackson was only 16 years old at the time, and he was in such severe shape that it permanently altered his outlook.

Judy, his mother, raised three children as a single mom while working two jobs to make ends meet.

Jackson began working and supporting his family after learning about their struggles.

When he was in school, he worked in his grandfather’s grocery store.

Jackosn began his education at Port Arthur’s Lincoln Memorial High School, but as his grades at Lincoln deteriorated, he transferred to Oak Hill Academy in Virginia.

He continued to play basketball despite his awful circumstances, and as a result, he improved.

Without a doubt, his mother deserves credit for not putting too much pressure on him and instead sending him to school to study and play basketball.

Body Measurements

As of 2022, Stephen Jackson is 44 years old.

About his physical stats, he stands 2.01 meters (6 feet 7 inches) tall and weighs around 220 lb (100 kg).

Furthermore, he has tattoos almost all over his body.

He developed his fascination with tattoos when he was a teenager, and now he has around twenty different tattoos.

The symbols engraved range from Chinese characters to birds and women to prayers.

He even has a tattoo as a tribute to the late Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gigi, on his right leg.

Facts of Stephen Jackson

Net Worth & Earnings

Stephen Jackson’s estimated net worth is around $20 million.

He had signed his first-ever NBA one-year deal worth about $316k with the New Jersey Nets in 2000. Before that, he had made a good earning through foreign league games.

However, that was just the beginning. Stephen signed a contract worth $1.29 with the Spurs next year, after which his performance improved drastically, which in turn raised his annual salary.

In 2004, he signed a huge contract worth around $38 million with the Indiana Pacers. After that, his annual salary reached over $5 million.

He appeared for ten more NBA seasons in which he earned nearly $65 million.

Stephen had accumulated approximately $68.6 million at the end of his career.

Friend of George Floyd

Stephen went on the record in the media, calling for harsh punishment for police officers who murdered George Floyd in 2020.

Many people were demonstrating in the streets, demanding justice for Floyd, but the gathering was led by Jackson.

Everyone then found out that Jackson and George had been boyhood buddies. They had a profound affinity with one other since they met in the early 1990s, despite being from different parts of Texas.

People who knew them referred to them as twins because they looked so similar.

Floyd was the one who looked after him during his difficult days in Texas, and they even played basketball together.

Furthermore, Stephen stated that he was still in communication with Floyd from his early struggles through his NBA years. He claimed he was bereaved by the news of his death because he was like a brother to him and his best friend.

Professional Life

Beginning of a Career

For the Lincoln Memorial School in Texas, Stephen primarily competed in high school basketball tournaments.

He did, however, play for Oak Hill Academy in Virginia during his senior year of high school.

When I saw his playing at the time, it was clear that he was a kid with a lot of potentials. In his junior year, he guided the Lincoln school to a state championship victory.

However, he was unable to complete his high school education with them since he lacked the necessary grades to advance to the senior class. As a result, he relocated to another state and graduated from Oak Hill High School.

He was picked for the McDonald’s All-American Game in 1996, where he was the leading scorer, for his accomplishments as a senior.

Regrettably, his academic record did not improve, and he was never selected for the university squad. Hence, he did not play collegiate basketball before the NBA draft.

Instead, he received an opportunity to go straight to the practice arena of the Phoenix Suns in Arizona and played numerous pickup games for them prior to the draft.

Professional Career

Even though Jackson had no experience in college basketball, Danny Ainge of the Phoenix Suns believed that he might help them, so he selected him as the 1997 NBA draft’s 42nd overall choice.

However, the team president later changed his mind and released Jackson without competing in many matches.

Consequently, Stephen traveled abroad and played for international league clubs in China, Venezuela, and Australia.

He returned to the US in 2000 and signed with the New Jersey Nets for his first-ever NBA season.

After that season, he associated him with the San Antonio Spurs. But, unhappily, he could not play many matches in the first season with them since he suffered injuries.

However, he made a stunning comeback in the second season.

He played a vital role in aiding the Spurs to lift their second NBA championship ring.

Furthermore, he played eleven more NBA seasons with six more NBA clubs until 2014. His performance was usually remarkable, except for the final few seasons.

He was with the Los Angeles Clippers when he announced his retirement from the NBA on July 22, 2015.

Shows & Music

Jackson currently co-hosts a video podcast named “All The Smoke” together with a former NBA player, Matt Barnes.

It is aired every week on Showtime Basketball’s Youtube channel, iTunes, and Spotify.

They invite various celebrities from different entertainment fields and discuss a wide range of topics. Naming a few; Kevin Garnett, Draymond Green, Kevin Durant, and Lou Williams.

It is a top-rated recent podcast show in America and has over 130 episodes.

Similarly, he collaborated with several artists and released a rap mixtape named What’s a Lockout? under the name stak5 in 2011.

Engagement in Noble Causes

Stephen is generous and always stands in front when it comes to assisting people in need. His mother, Judy, had once remarked that her son was always like that since his childhood.

He used to provide people with food and clothes with the limited amount he earned as a teenager.

Now that he is rich, he does that on a larger scale. He always strives to bring smiles to people’s faces.

When he was facing suspension in the 2007-08 season, he provided community services in the Oakland area. He provided food and financial assistance during that time, mainly to children.

Likewise, he established the Jackson Academy in Port Arthur, Texas, in 2008. The institution provides quality education to local children and also helps in their athletic development.

Moreover, they provide scholarships to financially weak children and have some infrastructures like a gymnasium for public use as well.

In addition, he has associated himself with various campaigns throughout his life, such as the Silence the Violence rally, the Show Me Campaign, etc.

The Bay Area community in San Fransisco even honored him for his commitment to community service and observed Stephen Day on April 12, 2008.

In collaboration with the Good Tidings Foundation, Jackson displayed Jackson’s Basketball Court at Omega Boys Club in San Francisco, California.

Relationships

Stephen Jackson is rumored to have been romantically linked with different women, but he is distinctly known for his relationship with Imani Showalter and Renata Elizabeth White.

Jackson began his love affair with Showalter back in the nineties and remained together for almost ten years.

Imani was also featured in a tv show called Basketball Wives LA due to her relationship with Jackson, although they were never married.

However, they had initially intended to marry, but it got canceled at the last moment when she refused to sign a prenup agreement. They eventually broke up in 2005.

He has a son named Camron and a daughter named Taylor Jackson with Showalter. Jackson then married the Georgian native Renata Elizabeth White in 2009.

They stayed together for about four years until they divorced in 2013. He has a daughter named Skylar Jackson with her.

Moreover, it is said that he has other children with five different women.

He recently married a beautiful lady named Tamara, also known as Tammy, in December 2021.

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Controversies

Jackson got involved in various controversies throughout his basketball career.

In 2004, Jackson got into a fight involving the players and fans of the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons.

The brawl took place at the Palace of Auburn Hills, and it is infamously known as The Malice at The Palace. After that brawl, the NBA suspended him for 30 matches.

In 2020, basketball legends including Charles Buckley and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar reprimanded him for expressing support for the football player DeSean Jackson’s anti-semitic views.

Similarly, other controversies involving him include firing outside a strip club in Indianapolis in 2006.

In addition, he has been charged with criminal offenses, domestic violence cases, and misconduct several times.

The Internet and Social Media

His Instagram handle is @ stak5_ and his Twitter has @DaTrillStak5.