How Did Stephen Jackson Know George Floyd?

minneapolis, mn june 2 roxie washington, the mother of george floyds six year old daughter gianna floyd, is consoled by former nba player stephen jackson during a press conference at minneapolis city hall roxie washington, the mother of george floyds six year old daughter gianna floyd, spoke with her daughter during a press conference at minneapolis city hall on tuesday, june 2, 2020 washington, of houston, was joined by george floyds friend stephen jackson, a former nba player, and attorneys justin miller and chris stewart photo by leila navidistar tribune via getty images

(Image credit: Star Tribune via Getty Images)

published 3 June 2020

Stephen Jackson has become one of the prominent figures demanding justice for George Floyd's murder (opens in new tab). Most recently, you've probably seen the 42-year-old former NBA player in a viral video (opens in new tab) holding Floyd's six-year-old daughter, Gianna, on his shoulders while she says smiling, "Daddy changed the world."

It turns out Jackson has a close connection to Floyd and his family. In a conversation with ESPN's Marc Spears, Jackson explained that he met Floyd while he was living in Texas and called him "Twin."

"We have a homeboy named Tello, rest in peace Tello. He's gone now. He was from Port Arthur, but he used to be in Houston as well. Houston is 45 minutes from my hometown. So I'm in Houston back and forth," explains Jackson (opens in new tab). "So he came and he's like, 'I'm bringing my homeboy Floyd down here next week. He played basketball too, but y'all look alike. You might have the same dad.' I'm like, please man. So he brings Floyd down, I look at Floyd, and the first thing we both say is, "Who's your daddy?" From looking alike and from that day forward, we just had a bond. We became tight."

“Daddy changed the world.” ~George Floyd’s daughter Gianna ✊🏾Never forget.#JusticeforGeorgesFloyd( 📹 L. Chris Stewart) pic.twitter.com/BqFlB0UTvvJune 3, 2020

Jackson has stood beside Floyd's family since his friend was killed by Minneapolis police officers, promising to take care of Floyd's daughter. "I'm going to walk her down the aisle," he turned around and said to Gianna's mother, Roxie Washington (opens in new tab), during a press conference. "I'm going to be there for her. I'm going to be there to wipe her tears."

“Daddy changed the world.” ~George Floyd’s daughter Gianna ✊🏾Never forget.#JusticeforGeorgesFloyd( 📹 L. Chris Stewart) pic.twitter.com/BqFlB0UTvvJune 3, 2020

Watch Spears and Jackson's full conversation about Floyd, below, then get educated on how we can ensure justice for Floyd.

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Rachel Epstein is an editor at Marie Claire, where she writes and edits culture, politics, and lifestyle stories ranging from op-eds to profiles to ambitious packages. She also manages the site’s virtual book club, #ReadWithMC. Offline, she’s likely watching a Heat game, finding a new coffee shop, or analyzing your cousin's birth chart—in no particular order.