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Louisville, KY. Former U of L basketball player, Troy Jackson died Saturday at age 35. Jackson played for coach Denny Crum from 1996 to 1998. He later played on the And-1 Streetball Mixtape Tour.
Jackson is the brother of former NBA star and current NBA TV analyst, Mark Jackson and is the uncle of Mark Jackson Junior, who plays on the current U of L team.
The University of Louisville has not yet released a statement regarding Troy’s passing. But a basketball web site reported that the former Cardinal died in his sleep.

Troy Jackson.

Former University of Louisville basketball player Troy Jackson, who was perhaps better known by his streetball nickname ‘Escalade,’ passed away Saturday night in Los Angeles the school confirmed. He was 35.
The Jamaica, New York native was the brother of Mark Jackson, the former NBA great. His nephew Mark Jackson Junior is currently a walk-on with the Cardinals.
The younger Jackson tweeted about his uncle’s death on Sunday – “2day we lost a great man of God in my Uncle @Escalade53 but it consoles my heart to know that he is in a better place WE WILL ALL MISS YOU!”
The 6-foot-9 reserve center’s playing weight during his two seasons at U of L was around 350 pounds. He appeared in just 20 games during from 1996-98. He averaged 3.0 points and 1.6 rebounds.
But he gained widespread popularity – and took on the moniker of the Cadillac truck – playing on the And-1 Mixtape Tour. The collection of playground legends played a brand of basketball that was part hip hop, part streetball and all entertainment.

Jackson, a Jamaica, Queens native, played collegiate basketball at Louisville, but became one of the most famous streetball players of all time with the And 1 Mixtape Tour, a traveling basketball exhibition he joined in 2002. He also traveled for two years with the Harlem Globetrotters and most recently he competed with the Ball Up streetball team.
“He traveled all around the world and touched so many lives” – Mark Jackson told The Post from LA. “He will be greatly missed. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. God is still good.”
Many former and current NBA players like Shaquille O’Neal and Rick Fox gave condolences yesterday on their Twitter accounts.
“My heart goes out to Mark Jackson and his family who lost his brother last night, Escalade” – O’Neal tweeted. “We lost a great person love u escalade. I’m sad.”
Off the court, Troy Jackson, who appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s June 13, 2005 issue, was an advocate for STD prevention after losing his other brother to AIDS in the 1980′s.
Close friend, Ron Naclerio, the coach at Cardozo High School, called the big man ‘all class.’
“He was the gentlest giant there ever was” – Naclerio said.