"His only problem, obviously, was his weight" - Mark Jackson explains why his brother 'Escalade' would have been a good PF in the NBA

Mark Jackson had a solid career in the NBA. He won the 1987-88 Rookie of the Year award and was an All-Star a year later. Jackson was a skilled passer of the ball, and when he had to score, he could also contribute.

While Mark was the only member of his family to make it to the NBA, his youngest brother, Troy “Escalade” Jackson , was a talented hooper as well. In fact, if it weren’t for this one glaring issue, 'Action' believes his brother could have made it to the league.

Mark dishes on Troy's basketball skills

While Jackson was an undersized guard, his younger brother was massive. Troy stood at 6'10'', but he also weighed quite a bit and even played basketball, weighing 500 pounds or more during times in high school and college.

Escalade eventually became a streetball legend as part of the And1 Mixtape Tour, and while his weight didn’t interfere with his ability to play, it did prevent him from making it to the NBA. Mark thinks that if Troy could have controlled his weight, he would have excelled in the league.

“I do,” Mark said on The Mark Jackson Show . “At 6’10, the biggest in the family, point guard skills, the ability to handle, initiate offense, post up. His only problem, obviously, was his weight. He was a big guy, and he was the youngest of the five of us, and he was the biggest, not just in (height), but also (weight). But no doubt about it, he would have been an NBA power forward, and he would have had a sustained career.”

Escalade’s basketball talent was undeniable

Size is a big part of being a successful basketball player, but there’s a point where it becomes tough for players to function if they weigh too much. Oliver Miller is the heaviest NBA player of all time at 375 pounds, and even then, his weight had an impact on his performance on the court.

Escalade managed to trim his weight down during his time at Louisville, but it wasn’t enough for him to earn consistent minutes. He wowed fans of the And1 Mixtape Tour, but his skills in streetball games simply didn’t translate to the NBA game.

Mark thinks Troy would have been a monster in the NBA if it weren't for his weight. He had tons of skill on the court, which helps explain how he was able to compete at a high level despite his weight.

Unfortunately, Escalade ended up passing away back in 2011 due to hypertensive heart disease, and his NBA dreams were never realized. Mark thinks that if things went differently, though, his youngest brother could have been in the NBA right alongside him.

Related: Ex-AND1 streetball star reflects on their goal: "To open up the door for guys to make it to the NBA"