Former NBA star calls himself face of 2020 social justice movement

Jackson's association with that period stems from his friendship with George Floyd, the unarmed Black man who was killed by now-former police officer Derek Chauvin. A June 2020 profile by former ESPN and New York Times scribe Marc Stein detailed how the two men knew each other:

Jackson, 42, was introduced to Floyd through a mutual friend in the mid-1990s, before he was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the 42nd overall pick in the 1997 draft. The two bonded immediately over their facial resemblance — they habitually referred to each other as “twin” — and became close enough that Jackson brought Floyd as a guest to Washington in 2001 for the N.B.A.’s All-Star Weekend, where Jackson played in the Rookie Challenge as a member of the Nets.

Jackson bounced around before landing with the Nets, playing in professional leagues in Australia, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, as well as in the Continental Basketball Association. Through it all, trips to see Floyd in Houston were a staple for Jackson, who furnished him with clothes in later years after Floyd moved to Minneapolis to try to restart his life after multiple arrests and incarcerations.

“Every time I watch that video, I see myself down there because we look so much alike,” Jackson said. “It easily could have been me down there: Just let me get pulled over by an officer who’s having a bad day and don’t like the fact that I’m in a nice car.”

Stein's article discussed how Jackson traveled to Minneapolis, where Floyd died, to march and bring awareness to the tragedy. Even the title of the article itself lends to the idea that Jackson was leading the movement, although there were and continue to be thousands of community activists who have built grassroots efforts to combat the social ills people marched about in 2020 and beyond.

Jackson's larger point is about how the NBA itself focuses on social issues, stating that the league didn't reach out to him as it was planning to address the movement. The NBA has been praised, criticized and questioned on its authenticity on social justice, yet Jackson has also felt the same heat for his own approach. While lauded for speaking forcefully on behalf of his friend, he was criticized for defending fake but anti-Semitic quotes made by NFL wide receiver DeSean Jackson that same summer. It's possible that incident could have played a role in why the NBA hasn't connected with him, but there could be other matters that are unclear.