FORMER NBA player Stephen Jackson is defending the anti-Semitic posts shared by NFL star DeSean Jackson.
The Philadelphia Eagles' wide receiver has apologized, but Stephen Jackson said the fellow Black athlete was just "speaking the truth."
Here is more on the controversy surrounding DeSean Jackson and the backlash that followed.
Who is DeSean Jackson?
Jackson is a wide receiver with the Philadelphia Eagles who has played in the NFL since 2008.
He started out with the Eagles before moving on to the Washington franchise and to Tampa Bay.
Jackson returned to the Eagles in 2019.
His best season came in 2013 when he caught 82 passes for 1,332 yards and nine touchdowns for Philadelphia.
Jackson is a three-time Pro Bowl pick who was selected in the second round of the 2008 draft.
The 33-year-old California native has 598 career receptions.
What did DeSean Jackson post on social media?
Jackson posted a screenshot of a quote widely attributed to Adolf Hitler, saying in part: “Jews will blackmail America.”
In another post Jackson showed support for Louis Farrakhan, the Nation of Islam leader who is known for anti-Semitic rhetoric.
The quote attributed to Hitler said white Jews "will blackmail America. [They] will extort America, their plan for world domination won't work if the Negroes know who they were."
Hitler was responsible for the murder of six million Jews during World War II.
The quote shared by Jackson supposedly said by the Nazi leader has turned out to be fake and has been debunked.
Did DeSean Jackson apologize?
The NFL player issued a mea culpa on social media on Tuesday.
“My post was definitely not intended for anybody of any race to feel any type of way, especially the Jewish community,” Jackson said in a video he posted on Instagram.
“I post things on my story all the time, and just probably never should have posted anything Hitler did, because Hitler was a bad person, and I know that.”
The NFL and the Eagles also reacted to Jackson's posts.
“We have spoken with DeSean Jackson about his social media posts," the team said.
"Regardless of his intentions, the messages he shared were offensive, harmful, and absolutely appalling.
"They have no place in our society, and are not condoned or supported in any way by the organization.
"We are disappointed and we reiterated to DeSean the importance of not only apologizing but also using his platform to take action to promote unity, equality, and respect.
"We are continuing to evaluate the circumstances and are committed to continuing to have productive and meaningful conversations with DeSean, as well as all of our players and staff, in order to educate, learn, and grow.”
Said the league: “DeSean’s comments were highly inappropriate, offensive and divisive and stand in stark contrast to the NFL’s values of respect, equality and inclusion.
"We have been in contact with the team which is addressing the matter with DeSean.”
What did Stephen Jackson say?
Stephen Jackson, who played in the NBA from 2000 to 2014, came to DeSean's defense in a series of social media posts.
"So I just read a statement that the Philadelphia Eagles posted regarding DeSean Jackson's comments," he said in an Instagram video.
"He was trying to educate himself, educate people, and he's speaking the truth.
"Right? He's speaking the truth. You know he don't hate nobody, but he's speaking the truth of the facts that he knows and trying to educate others."
He continued: "But y'all don't want us to educate ourselves.
"If it's talking about the Black race, y'all ain't saying nothing about it.
"They killing us, police killing us and treating us like s***, racism at an all-time high, but ain't none of you NFL owners spoke up on that, ain't none of you teams spoke up on that."
Jackson brought up Riley Cooper, the former Eagles player was given a contract extension after shouting a racial slur at a Black security guard.
Cooper was later released by the team.
Did Stephen Jackson know George Floyd?
Jackson was a long-time friend of Floyd, who died in police custody in Minneapolis on Memorial Day.
Floyd's death sparked protests and unrest and the country, and Jackson has been vocal about racial inequality and the loss of his pal.
Video shows a police officer kneeling on Floyd's neck for what prosecutors say was nearly nine minutes.
Four officers have been fired and charged in connection with Floyd's death.
“Every time I watch that video, I see myself down there because we look so much alike,” Jackson told The New York Times in June.
“It easily could have been me down there: Just let me get pulled over by an officer who’s having a bad day and don’t like the fact that I’m in a nice car.”
Jackson had known Floyd since the mid-1990s when they were introduced by a mutual friend.
He told The Times that he and Floyd were “going down the same road” when they were young, spending time “in the same neighborhoods, in the same cars, doing the same things.”
“But I had more opportunity,” Jackson told the newspaper.
“The reason we need to change how people look at us and put some money into these minority areas is because there’s no opportunity there.”
He said: “If I can stand up for a change in the world and everybody coming together and standing together and making history with protests and knocking some doors down to get social justice and change some of these laws – if the president ain’t going to do it, hey, I’ll stand up and do it.”
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