One of Australia’s most famous basketballers is Lauren Jackson. Some would say she was born to be a basketball star. Basketball was a huge part of Lauren’s life from day one. Lauren’s mother Maree, played for Louisiana State in the late 1970’s and both her parents represented the Australian National teams.

Early Years

Growing up around basketball was life for Lauren Jackson as a child. She started playing at age 4 and grew up playing for the Albury Cougars. Later at age 12, she wrote herself a note saying: “I am going to play at the 2000 Olympics”. Only 3 years later Jackson left home as a 15 year old and started playing professionally when she was 16, at a time when she was the youngest ever player named in the Australian national team.

Later

Wearing her mum’s old number #15, Lauren was one of the tallest and most influential players on court. Now at 23yo and as a towering 195cm centre-forward, Jackson has a huge list of achievements and awards that can’t be matched by any other player but continues to stay as humble as ever being quoted as saying: ‘My parents taught me everything about life and basketball’.