What happens when the biggest guy to ever touch a basketball refuses every limit thrown his way?
Meet Troy Escalade Jackson: 6'10", 500 pounds, dazzling crowds with behind-the-back moves LeBron might envy. Is it even legal for a man his size to move like that on the court?
Most have never heard of Troy. But you likely know his brother—Mark Jackson, NBA star and commentator. With hoops royalty in the family, how did Mark make the league while Troy took a radically different path?
As a teen, Troy could've followed in his brother’s NBA footsteps. Instead, he doubled down on what made him special: becoming a streetball sensation at Rucker Park. (You can imagine the Big Macs piling up.)
By senior year, he was over 500 lbs, yet so athletic that college scouts couldn't ignore him—even if his stage was the playground, not the big gym.
"Troy’s instant popularity amongst fans as the lovable giant made him a staple of the league's subsequent tours."
But going legit came with conditions: at Louisville, he was asked to swap burgers for salads. Suddenly, in a structured D1 system, his magic faded. The freedom—and thrill—of streetball called him home.
That's when AND1 came calling. Their mixtapes, powered by streetball icons, went viral before YouTube even existed. Troy’s size, handles, and showmanship powered AND1’s explosion from local tape drops to national TV on ESPN.
He became a streetball legend—more famous in clubs and playgrounds than some actual NBA pros. That’s just wild.
But every system has its breaking point. The weight that made him a phenomenon became an ever-growing risk, even as fans cheered. Eventually, even Troy’s teammates begged him to lose weight—but he refused to abandon the persona that gave him everything.
In 2011, tragedy struck. Troy passed away unexpectedly at 38—still celebrated as the largest, most charismatic showman basketball’s ever seen. Classic clutch moment, gone too soon.
Streetball and basketball history will never forget Troy—proof that influence can stretch far beyond the league, reshaping culture from the blacktop up. If you want to see the lovable giant in action, you’ve got to see it yourself.
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