Troy "Escalade" Jackson, streetball legend larger than life and the younger brother of former NBA player Mark Jackson died in his sleep yesterday morning.
The 6-foot-10, 400-pound Jackson, 35, was in Los Angeles for NBA All-Star Weekend. The cause of death is not known until an autopsy.
Jackson, a native of Jamaica, Queens, played college basketball at Louisville, but he became one of the most famous streetball players of all time with the And 1 Mixtape Tour, an exhibition of basketball journey, he joined in 2002. He also traveled for two years with the Harlem Globetrotters and most recently he played with the ball and street ball team.
"He traveled around the world and touched so many lives," said Mark Jackson as Los Angeles. "We will miss him. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. God is always good."
Many former and current NBA players like Shaquille O'Neal and Rick Fox yesterday gave his condolences to their Twitter accounts.
"My heart goes out to Mark Jackson and his family, his brother lost the last night of the Escalade" tweeted O'Neal. "We lost a great person u love climbing. I'm sad."
Troy Jackson was off the field, 13 on the cover of Sports Illustrated June 2005 issue was published, an advocate for prevention of STDs after losing his other brother to AIDS in the 1980s.
Close friend named Ron Naclerio, the coach at Cardozo High School, the big man "whole class".
"It was the most gentle giant who has ever had," said Naclerio.
mraimondi@nypost.com
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