Mark Jackson explains why his brother Troy “Escalade” would have made a good power forward in the NBA: “His only problem, obviously, was his weight.”
Is it possible that Troy, Mark’s younger brother, made it into the league?
In the NBA, Mark Jackson enjoyed a successful career. One year after winning Rookie of the Year, 1987–88, he was named an All-Star. Jackson could contribute when he needed to score as well as be a proficient ball passer.
Though Mark was the only family member to play in the NBA, Troy “Escalade” Jackson, his younger brother, was also a gifted hooper. In fact, ‘Action’ thinks his brother may have made it into the league if not for this one obvious problem.
Mark brags about Troy’s basketball prowess.
Jackson was a small guard, but his younger brother was huge. Troy was 6’10” and heavy, and he even played basketball at times in high school and college when he weighed 500 pounds or more.
As a member of the And1 Mixtape Tour, Escalade finally rose to fame as a streetball icon. Although his weight didn’t affect his performance, it did keep him from reaching the NBA. Mark believes Troy would have done well in the league if he had been able to manage his weight.
On The Mark Jackson Show, Mark declared, “I do.” “At 6’10, the tallest member of the family, with point guard abilities, he can handle, start an offensive play, and post up. His weight was, of course, the only issue. He was the smallest of the five of us, yet he was still the largest in terms of both height and weight. He was a big guy. However, there is no denying that he would have had a long and successful career as an NBA power forward.
There was no denying Escalade’s basketball prowess.
While size plays a significant role in basketball performance, athletes who weigh too much eventually find it difficult to perform. Even at 375 pounds, Oliver Miller remains the biggest NBA player ever, and his weight affected his play on the court.
While in Louisville, Scalade was able to lose weight, but it wasn’t enough for him to get regular playing time. Although he amazed the And1 Mixtape Tour audience, his streetball abilities were incomparable to those of an NBA player.
Mark believes that if Troy hadn’t been so heavy, he could have been a monster in the NBA. He was able to compete at a high level despite his weight because he possessed a great deal of skill on the court.
Escalade’s NBA aspirations were never fulfilled as he tragically passed unexpectedly in 2011 from hypertensive heart disease. Mark believes that his youngest brother could have played in the NBA with him if things had turned out differently.
