Jackson's No. 22 has been retired by the basketball program since 2001.
Once a uniform number is hoisted to the rafters or affixed to the facade of a stadium, it takes a special player to bring it back into rotation.
Incoming Ohio State guard Malaki Branham could fit that bill after leading Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary to a pair of state championships and earning numerous awards during his high school career, so it should come as no surprise that he may soon ask Jimmy Jackson to wear his No. 22, which was retired by the Buckeyes in 2001.
“Malaki, what a special kid he is,” head coach Chris Holtmann recently said during an appearance on 97.1 The Fan. “He is a young man that people are going to really love watching and getting to know. He’s kind of a versatile, multi-position guard. I don’t think you pigeonhole him in any particular position.
“The biggest thing for him is he and I both have to write or I’m going to have him write a letter or have him pick up the phone and call Jimmy Jackson because he really wants to wear that number. We’ll see how that goes, but he is a special kid and we are super excited to have him.”
Jackson averaged 19.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 93 games with Ohio State from 1989-92. He was a two-time consensus All-American, two-time Big Ten player of the year and the conference’s freshman of the year and led the Buckeyes to two Big Ten titles and three NCAA Tournament appearances.
Jackson was selected by the Dallas Mavericks with the fourth overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft and played 14 seasons for the Mavericks, New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers.
He is one of five former Ohio State men’s basketball players to have his number retired, joining John Havlicek (No. 5), Jerry Lucas (No. 11), Evan Turner (No. 21) and Gary Bradds (No. 35).
Interestingly, a similar request was made by redshirt sophomore running back Steele Chambers ahead of the 2019 season, when he received permission from the family of late Heisman Trophy winner Les Horvath to wear No. 22, which was also retired by the football program in 2001.
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