By Derek Toney:
Basketball comes easy for Justin and George Jackson. Its in their bloodlines.
Their father, George, Sr., played at Walbrook High in the late 1980s. He had a basketball in their hands when they were toddlers and coached them from rec to AAU.
George, Sr. died this past Tuesday from a heart attack. His funeral was Monday in west Baltimore.
The last couple of seasons, George, Sr. sat a couple of rows up behind the Digital Harbor bench along with Benatlou Rec coach Herman Johnson. Like most parents, George, Sr. wanted his sons to do better than he did.
I remember George Sr. from his days at Walbrook as a fledging reporter with the Sun. He was a solid guard for Gus Herrington. It was at Walbrook I first saw his off springs at the Function in the Junction in Dec. 2007.
It was late in regulation when I arrived, and the game was out of hand. Not knowing which team was which on the scoreboard, I assumed it was Douglass, which was ranked. I was taken aback when I went over to the scorers table and realized it was Digital Harbor, led by big games from Justin and George, won.
My immediate thought was, Who are these guys? Over the next three months, the Jackson boys made their mark on the Baltimore city hoops scene. Last year, the Rams won the Class 1A championship, bouncing back from a drubbing by Lake Clifton in the city title game.
It was easy to see how they played off each other. They could be silent for a quarter, then go on a torrid surge. Justin and George went their separate way as George, after earning first-team All-Metro honors, garnered a scholarship to Coppin State College.
Justin dealt with injuries and inconsistency, while George also had injuries and adjusting in his freshman season at Coppin. For their first time in their basketball lives, the Jacksons had adversity.
George Sr. was there, providing encouragement. Hours after he died Tuesday, Justin had his best game of the season with 30 points against Overlea in the Class 2A North quarterfinals. In the semifinals at Coppin Thursday, Justin almost single-handedly brought Digital Harbor back from a 10-point deficit late in regulation against Edmondson.
Now, Justin and George now prepare for life without their biggest fan. Once their tears dried and sadness fade, the Jackson boys will have to become men.
Bmorehoops…
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