Frank Jackson, 38, Uptown. Played Walter L. Cohen High, ’87 and ’88. Dillard University. Younger brother of New Orleans basketball legend Jaren Jackson who played in NBA and won a championship for the San Antonio Spurs in 1998-99. 

I am the youngest of 10. My mother played basketball and she is the one who got us into it. My house was all basketball. My brother Jaren, who a championship with The Spurs, was so good and he got me into it at Cohen. 

My fondest memory of the game is my first home game at Dillard, packed, against Loyola. I was on defense, stole the ball on a bad pass and I just flew down the court and slammed it over their guard and I got the and one. My mom was at the game too and I had chill bumps the whole game. 

I’m a barber and I give free cuts with no Ds no Fs on the report card. I am always pushing kids to work harder, who knows, you might even get a scholarship. I keep ’em good around here. 

I just love the moves. The ability to do the things you do, it’s amazing. I used to watch Mike growing up, I was just glued to the TV, I would never sit back, when you watch him you had to sit up straight cause you know you about to see something you ain’t never seen before, and it’s the same way now with Dwyane Wade.

There is a lot of talent out here from New Orleans. There was this local legend Michael Bullock who was shot and killed but his memories live with us. He was a big guy, when we were in school he was like a man-child, a man among kids. I always say that if we had the Hornets when we were alive he could have walked across that bridge and made the team. He was the like the Goat in his jumping ability. He played against my brother in a playoff game. My brother had a fractured foot and wasn’t supposed to play but he did and won the game. It was a real close game, raw talent, back and forth buckets. To open the game Michael Bullock got the ball on the tip and dunked on a guy. Then my brother got the ball and did the same thing. It was back and forth like that all game. My mom was at all our games, and it felt so good to send mom home smiling. 

It was really dead before we got the Hornets back.  I’m a CP3 fan now so I got to roll with Chris. After Katrina it’s going to be a slow pace, we have to have patience. 

The fans make is so special here. When you come out on the court and they cheering for you. All the noise, it really boosts you up, I didn’t think I could get up so high. The fans gave you so much momentum and drive. It was like a familiar affair type thing. We all made each other feel good.

New Orleans fans are like a second line procession.  It’s southern hospitality, the whole thing is rhythmic, all aspects, if you do something well you have people running out of the stands. We pepper the crowd. When we preparing for a game we tear up the bus, beating on it so hard we are like a drum section of the second like, you know when we are coming, they gonna hear us. 

When we enjoy a game have a BBQ, throw out the grill, and you gotta have some music. My fondest memory as a fan was the Georgetown vs. LSU game at the Superdome, 1985. Oh my god! My brother was playing for Georgetown, I had to root for my brother and had to deal with fans from here, but I brought that jazz just like they brought it, even though I would have liked to see LSU win the home team but not beat my brother.

Interview by Will Steacy

All photos courtesy of -Wyatt Gallery
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