All in the family

NEW YORK CITY – There’s something special about Washington Wizards point guard Jerry Stackhouse. Sure, he’s a star in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and a big reason why Michael Jordan hopes the Wizards will finally make it to the playoffs this season.

But this isn’t just about Jerry’s hoops skills. It’s about his love for family, a trait that we celebrate on Thanksgiving Day tomorrow.

The youngest of 11 children, Jerry grew up in poverty in Kinston, North Carolina, about an hour from Jordan’s hometown Wilmington. His parents had difficulty making both ends meet, earning only a combined $1,000 a month, but they made their children happy by always being there for them.

Jerry’s father worked for the department of sanitation from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. everyday then cut trees until late at night. His mother was a cook and an ordained minister. Neither parent was particularly tall, both standing less than 5-10, and a basketball career for the youngest sibling didn’t seem like it was written in the stars. It was hardly imaginable that Jerry would later shoot up to 6-6.

In Northwest Airlines’ World Traveler Magazine (Nov. 2002), Jerry was quoted by writer John Bacon as saying although "with 11 kids, we always had everything we needed … my mom and dad never asked for anything, we were the family that helped everybody else."

What Jerry’s parents taught their children was how to live righteously. Bacon said they were content to produce solid citizens, ones who knew the value of hard work, family, and faith.

It was faith that kept the Stackhouse family together as tragedy struck through a deadly genetic strain of diabetes. Complications from the disease claimed the lives of two Stackhouse children, one of them Jean who died in 1991 and left behind a 10-year-old daughter Nikki. Jean was like Jerry’s second mother and he was only 16 when she passed away.

Basketball became Jerry’s way out of poverty. He followed Jordan’s footsteps and enrolled at the University of North Carolina and as a sophomore in 1995, led the Tar Heels to the Final Four. Jerry would’ve liked to continue playing for the varsity but his mother, already suffering from severe diabetes, had contracted breast cancer. So after seeking advice from North Carolina coach Dean Smith, Jerry left school and turned pro. His only goal was to pay for his mother’s expensive treatment, something he couldn’t do for his sister Jean four years earlier.

Jerry established himself as an NBA star with the Philadelphia 76ers but he didn’t let his celebrity status cloud his focus. He was determined to finish his degree at North Carolina and after five straight summers, finally graduated in December 2000. In fact, his second team, Detroit, allowed him to use the corporate jet to attend his graduation at the North Carolina campus so he could return that night to play against the Sixers. Jerry made it worth the trouble as he scored 26 points and made the game-winning play in the final seconds.

Today, Jerry is as committed as ever to his family. He is married to Ramira Marks, a former cheerleader, and they are blessed with three children, Jaye, 4, Alexis, 3, and Antonio, 1. They are as close as Jerry was growing up the youngest of 11 children.

Jerry, who is so far free of diabetes, is personally funding a foundation to take care of those unable to pay for treatment of the disease. Additionally, he is pushing the Diabetes Prevention Access and Care Act—which will determine why diabetes attacks minorities more than others and educate those stricken about care and prevention—in Congress.

Jerry, 28, is also taking care of his niece Nikki who’s now 21 and playing basketball at North Carolina State.

Ironically, Jerry hasn’t been able to find a permanent home or family in the NBA. In eight seasons, Jerry has played for seven coaches and three clubs.

Last year, Jerry dropped his scoring clip from 29.8 to 21.4 points as he deliberately made an effort to get his teammates more involved in Detroit’s offense. Although his output dipped, Jerry raised his assist clip to a career-high 5.3 a game. Pistons coach Rick Carlisle leaned on Jerry’s improved play to engineer a remarkable turnover in the club’s fortunes as Detroit boosted its win total from 32 to 50.

It was no wonder that Jordan brought Jerry to Washington. They’re both of the same North Carolina stock and this season, they’re playing beautiful music in the Wizards backcourt. Jerry starts at point guard with Larry Hughes at No. 2. Jordan comes off the bench to relieve Hughes.

Stackhouse is averaging 24.1 points and over five assists a game. Jordan is the team’s second highest scorer at about 16 an outing.

The Wizards got off to a 6-4 start but has lost three straight as of last Saturday. The consolation is Washington is 5-2 at home and with Jerry in harness, coach Doug Collins doesn’t seem so disconsolate. Wizards’ 6-11 sophomore Kwame Brown is coming into his own as a power forward with veteran Charles Oakley teaching him the ropes. Bryon Russell is a lock at small forward. The backcourt is formidable with Jerry, Jordan, Hughes, and Tyronn Lue. The soft spot is at center where 7-foot sophomore Brendan Haywood and 6-10 rookie Jared Jeffries alternate with not too much impact.

Fate has led Jerry to Washington where he has closer access to legislators in lobbying for his diabetes campaign. Jordan made it happen and probably thought Jerry deserved a break in his career to raise a family in a place he can call home.