When Jerry Stackhouse took twitter by storm tweeting that his 16U AAU team will be based out of Toronto, ON, the grassroots basketball community was caught by surprise.

Many are familiar with 18 year NBA vet Jerry Stackhouse. He nearly averaged 30 points per game in 2000-2001. Stack was a 2x all-star that has a record for scored points at the United Center in a single game higher then both Bulls legends Michael Jordan or Derrick Rose when he dropped 57 in 2001.

So why Toronto for his 16U AAU team you ask?

Stackhouse’s good friend and former NBA player himself; Jermaine Jackson was the X-factor. Not as familiar to folks as his best friend Stackhouse is, but the story behind Jermaine Jackson and his history with the Toronto basketball scene goes back 15 years.

Jackson who forged relationships in the 416 during his playing days with Toronto, will now offer a great opportunity in terms of exposure to the 2017 Canadian class after being appointed coach of U16 Stackhouse Elite. The team will serve as an Adidas Flagship squad from Toronto slated to participate in the Adidas Gauntlet later this summer.

Hoops Hype Canada high school corespondents Ian Douglas and Mark Bairos caught up with Jackson and discussed his personal story. A rise from 6’3″ grade 12 kid in the inner city of Detroit to 12 year professional career. Also his work today in grassroots basketball.

Giving back to the community has always been a strong quality in Jermaine Jackson, within months of retiring he bought and restored a community center now called the Jermaine Jackson-Cairns Community Center in Mount Clemens. A gesture that reflects his passion for being a community activist. Jackson explains his dedication to providing quality programs for young people and residents of his surrounding neighborhoods in Mt. Clemens, MI.

Jackson touches on how he went from kid with little direction growing up in inner-city Detroit to securing a scholarship at Detroit University.

In college he spent four seasons at Detroit Mercy under Perry Watson, Jackson explains the story behind his post secondary success that included being named the Horizon League Player of the Year in 1999 after averaging 13.9 points per game and leading the Titans to a 25-6 record and a HL Championship.

In his senior season, the two-time All-League honoree netted a team-high 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds as he helped put Detroit in the national spotlight when the 12th-seeded Titans upset fifth-seeded UCLA, 56-53, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

 

 

Jackson prides his career off hard work. His slogan — “Hard work gets hated on”. He also pays homage to the tons of tutelage he has received from a long list of former head coaches that includes Perry Watson, Lenny Wilkens, Larry Brown among others.

 

 

Jackson talks about the experience of playing for his hometown Pistons. A time of his life where he was groomed by Jerry Stackhouse. Both have since maintained a life long friendship that saw Stackhouse be appointed best man at Jackson’s wedding.

 

 

After Detroit his pro journey landed him in Toronto. He was a member of one of the more exciting runs in Raptors history during the season of 2001-02.

Raptors spearheaded by Antonio Davis finished the season on a 12-2 streak and 40-42 overall.

They made the playoffs but were eliminated by his hometown Pistons. A heroic team effort all with out Vince Carter. Jackson reminisces the magical Raptors run and reiterates how Hakeem Olaujuwon was not a bust but instead a valuable veteran value.

 

 

Jackson spent six seasons abroad playing professionally in Europe. Stops in Ukraine, Spain, Italy, and Israel. He explains why his time spent in Italy suiting up with familiar names at Benetton Treviso, while winning the 2004 Italian Cup were some of his fondest memories.

 

 

Now about his future endeavors coaching an AAU basketball team from Toronto. Jackson told HHC he first discovered the talent was real in Canada during his playing days in Toronto. Long time peers of his Coach Ro Russell and Coach Huggy from Grassroots Elite invited him to their gymnasium. He also compliments the Toronto scene and other clubs like CIA Bounce for never giving up and solidifying the city and market as a basketball hotbed when others would have simply given up.

 

 

Jackson explains his pulse on Canadian talent from when he started coaching after retirement. Dating back to when Sir Alan MacNab (2016 Nolan Narain) attended a tournament in Mt. Clemens. He was able to see today’s talent first hand again. Jackson was also heavily involved with Can Amera Hoops. He co-founded Can Amera with Coach John Taylor that traveled the AAU circuit in 2013 and featured Georgia lettermen Derek Ogbeide.

 

 

There you have it, still to be determined what his roster will look like or how competitive they will be participating on the Adidas Gauntlet circuit.

However you cant argue his resume in terms of leadership and experience that can offer Canadian student athlete’s while under his tutelage.

For more on the entire Stackhouse Elite Toronto movement follow @Stackhouse416 on twitter.