There is an NBA team in Utah, but few professional basketball players hail from that state in the Mountain time zone. That makes New Orleans reserve guard Frank Jackson a bit of a rarity, having attended high school at Lone Peak in Highland, Utah, before playing one season of college basketball at Duke. The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder discussed with Pelicans.com how his favorite musical artist of all time coincidentally shares the same surname; Jackson also once sported a uniform number of the court that was a reference to one of the biggest acts of the late 1970s. Of course, Jackson does not remember that decade at all, having been born in 1998. At just 21, the only players younger than Jackson on the 2019-20 New Orleans roster are the team’s three first-round draft picks from last summer:
How he chose his current uniform number of 15: “It used to be 5 – so it was ‘Jackson 5’, but my junior year of high school when we got new jerseys, my number didn’t fit me. The next-biggest number I could wear was 15. I just stuck with it, because it was always available (at both Duke and in New Orleans).”
One thing fans might be surprised to know about him: “I come from a huge family. There are a total of five brothers and sisters, and I am the second-oldest.”
Favorite basketball memory from high school: “We had an ESPN game against a very good team. The game was at our place. People started lining up at 10 in the morning – it was ridiculous. We won and it was the most entertaining thing I’ve ever done with my friends. It was awesome.”
Favorite thing about New Orleans: “This city is so crazy and it’s awesome in so many ways. My favorite thing is the love everyone has for each other. There is so much support and interesting things here that have been great to be a part of. The people are my favorite thing about New Orleans.”
Biggest lesson from basketball: “That nothing is ever given to you or handed to you. That you have to work for what you want. Basketball has done a great job of bringing out my competitiveness.”
Biggest mentor: “My father, who is my best friend. He taught me everything and has been with me every step of the way, and will continue to be there. He’s dedicated his life to serving his kids.”
Favorite exercises besides basketball: “Pilates, yoga. Anything outdoors such as surfing, riding a bike, doing something active where I’m moving. I can’t really sit still.”
Professional sport he’d want to play besides basketball: “Probably baseball because you can play for a long time and they make a lot of money. And I do love baseball. I played growing up, but stopped in ninth grade. My dad always tells me it was my best sport. But it kind of got too slow for me. As I look back, I wish I could’ve kept playing, but basketball just kind of took over.”
Subject he’s knowledgeable about besides basketball: “I’m a huge movie guy. I can watch movies all day.”
Favorite musical artist of all time: “Michael Jackson.”
What he’d most likely do on a day off during the season: “I’m surfing. I’ll wake up really early and go surfing, then spend the rest of the day swimming with friends and family. That’s probably my favorite thing to do.”
Favorite healthy snack: “A handful of walnuts and a piece of dark chocolate. It sounds horrible, but you get used to it.” [smiles]
Favorite Christmas gift: “Probably from my sister about three years ago; I think I was in college. She gave me a scrapbook type thing with pictures with me and my friends and my family, and then she hit them up and each of them wrote a paragraph of why they love me. I know, right? How sweet is that? It’s the best thing I’ve ever gotten and it cost nothing.”
Nicknames: “A couple people call me Flash. Frank the Tank. Money in the Bank Frank. Frankie J.”
What he misses most about his home state: “The scenery of Utah. The mountains and lakes, the mountain air.”
