Stephen Jesse Jackson (born April 5, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player who played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the New Jersey Nets, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks, Charlotte Bobcats, San Antonio Spurs, and Los Angeles Clippers. Jackson won an NBA championship with the Spurs in 2003. Jackson has emerged as a visible activist and spokesman for civil rights during the Black Lives Matter movement. Early life Jackson was born in Houston, Texas, and spent his childhood in Port Arthur, Texas. Growing up, Jackson was raised by his mother, Judyette, a single parent who worked two jobs. As a teenager, Jackson worked in his grandfather's soul food restaurant in Port Arthur, where he would wash dishes and bus tables. At the age of 16, Jackson's half-brother Donald Buckner died at 25 years old from head injuries after being jumped. Following the violent tragedy, Jackson said that he wished he could have been there to assist and protect a member of his family. "You can't tell me seeing his brother die that way hasn't had an effect," recalls Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh. "To me, it's why he is always coming to the help of his teammates." Jackson led Lincoln High School to a state championship in his junior year. However, facing academic ineligibility at Lincoln, he transferred to Oak Hill Academy (Virginia), where he earned All-American honors in 1996. He was the leading scorer in the 1996 McDonald's All-American Boys Game, on a team that included Kobe Bryant, Jermaine O'Neal and Tim Thomas. Following a commitment to join the University of Arizona, Jackson was ruled academically ineligible due to his low SAT and ACT test scores. He instead attended Butler County Community College of El Dorado, Kansas for one semester, but did not play basketball there. Prior to the 1997 NBA Draft, Jackson participated in several pickup games with the Phoenix Suns after family friend and fellow Arizona native Virginia Bibby (mother of NBA player Mike Bibby) brought him to the Suns arena during tryouts. Jackson's strong play, specifically his fearlessness against the Suns Cedric Ceballos, is largely what led to team president Danny Ainge drafting him months later. Professional career CBA and foreign leagues (1997–2000) Jackson was selected 42nd overall in the 1997 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns, yet did not play as he was waived by the team