In 2024, basketball and content creation are two separate, albeit strong, industries. However, that’s not the case for Crissa Jackson. The former Harlem Globetrotter has blended two of her biggest passions with perfect synergy.
Crissa’s story with basketball goes back a long way. After an illustrious high school career, she shined for the Savannah State Lady Tigers as well as the Point Loma Sea Lions. Back in the present, she showcases her on-court skills in the most creative ways.
Playboy was fortunate enough to bring Crissa into the Los Angeles headquarters for a dazzling photoshoot. Before leaving HQ, the star hooper sat down with Playboy’s Gabriel Santiago to share all about her journey to this point.
Playboy: What’s your origin story as an athlete?
Crissa Jackson: It all started with my dad. He used to train my brother and I used to hang out with them a lot. One day, I just asked if he could also train me. Mind you, my dad is not that good at basketball, but for some reason I asked. I was so small at the time. I couldn’t even touch the net with the basketball. I was this tiny thing with no strength, but that’s how it all started. Dribbling the basketball was my biggest thing. I would just dribble everywhere.
Playboy: On the court, were you running more with the boys or girls early on?
Crissa Jackson: I was running on the court with the boys, 100%. I would go outside and play at a park or court and there would maybe be just one other girl that was playing. And a lot of the time, I was the only girl. I think that gave me a little bit of leverage because, naturally, guys are a little bit stronger and things of that nature, so I was able to practice in ways that maybe other girls weren’t.
It wasn’t because I chose to do that. It was just because it was mostly guys on the court back then. It’s funny, sometimes I’ll run into a guy I used to play pickup with and they’ll say, ‘Do you remember me from back in the day? You crossed me over and broke my ankles when I was younger!’ I’m like, ‘Man, I’m sorry, but it be like that. Don’t step on a woman’s court. You should have known!’
Playboy: At what point did you realize that you had the ability to play basketball at the collegiate level?
Crissa Jackson: That realization came once I had it instilled that I love basketball and I play it all the time anyway. I don’t think there was a definitive point where I was like, ‘I want to play in college!’ It was more like, ‘I’m doing this for the rest of my life and whatever comes with that, comes with that.’ Unfortunately, there was a moment where I didn’t even want to go to the WNBA, and that was when I saw their salaries back then compared to playing overseas. Thankfully, that dynamic has changed.
Playboy: You’ve played for the Harlem Globetrotters previously, which is not something many women can say. Care to share a story from those days?
Crissa Jackson: You’re right, not a lot of women have played for the Globetrotters. I was actually the 13th woman to play for them within the 98-year history. My time there was transformative. It was so cool to be able to inspire people, and that’s what happened when I was with the Globetrotters.
After the games, so many girls, boys, moms, and dads would come and express gratitude for being an inspiration, especially for the ladies. I was able to show that someone who looks like them can make it in this world. And now that I’m not there anymore, I’m inspiring and reaching more individuals than I even thought or dreamed of doing. It’s been amazing.
Read More: How Athlete Bekka Hauri Blends Beauty, Brains and Ball
Playboy: Fast-forward to now and you’re a hoops content creator putting up booming numbers. Even cooler, you were able to take a game you’ve loved since childhood and make it into a living. What’s that feel like?
Crissa Jackson: It feels amazing. It goes back to what I was saying on how I didn’t know that my life would be so transformative, going from the Globetrotters to creating content, and then hitting even more of the masses.
For some people, they love the game of basketball. They might not want to take it to the collegiate level. They might not want to take it to the pros, but they just genuinely love the game. You do not have to ‘go pro’ to still be a part of the culture. I love that I’m able to portray that and show different steps on how you can still be a part of the game.
It’s unbelievable, all the opportunities that basketball has brought me. Now, I’m able to show others that there’s many different paths. Let’s say you graduate high school and you’re not getting scholarship offers, but you still want to be a part of basketball. There’s still ways—your life is not over. Basketball is not over in your life unless you close that chapter. If you continue to look forward, you’ll always find it.
Playboy: Also very cool; you’re a not-so-tall LGBTQ mother-of-color that is dominating a male-run industry like basketball content creation. What’s that feel like?
Crissa Jackson: I feel like I’m unstoppable. I’m on top of the world, but it’s even more than that. Personally, yes, I feel amazing to be able to be doing this. I never knew that I would be in this position. Growing up, I didn’t have anybody that I could really look to that resembled me—someone of color, sexual orientation, a woman that I could relate to. It was always men like Allen Iverson or Michael Jordan.
Growing up, women in sports weren’t as recognized. Nowadays, I’m able to do that and be that person for others. Because of my platform, I’m able to show there are so many different parts that make me who I am and so many parts of being an athlete. Maybe a girl somewhere looks at me and really relates to who I am and what I look like. When I’m able to be that person for others, it’s so amazing. I’m very grateful to be able to showcase the many different avenues of me.
Playboy: My personal favorite videos of yours are the on-court ASMR sounds, especially the swish of the net. Conversely, what are your favorite types of videos to create?
Crissa Jackson: I appreciate the compliment! I pride myself in making content that I love. I wouldn’t say there is one specific type of content that I prefer over the other because I only make content that I enjoy. If I didn’t, this wouldn’t be a very lasting career.
Some people, they get into content creation for the fame or they’ll go viral for one particular thing, but it’s not something that they truly enjoy. For me, I’m lucky that I’m passionate about what I do. All that is to say, I love all the content I make.
Playboy: What’s the most fierce aspect of your basketball skill set?
Crissa Jackson: Honestly, my court vision. Being a point guard, I love the fancy passing. I’m into all of that and I love being the person who is able to create space for others to score. At times, I was still a scoring point guard. As far as intangibles, I was fearless. I was like a little Chihuahua going all over the court. They’re the biggest yappers, but I was fearless out there.
Playboy: What were your thoughts on the historic 2024 WNBA season?
Crissa Jackson: People who think, ‘Wow, where do these girls come from?’ should know that they’ve been doing this for a long time—you’re just now jumping on board. Still, I’m just so thankful that the women are finally getting what we deserve. They work their butts off year round. When it comes to the NBA, they’re chilling in the offseason. The girls have the WNBA season, then guess what? They’ve got another season overseas. How many days do they really have off?
People don’t know how much work and effort that they put into this sport, and people are finally seeing it. I don’t want to put it on just one person that opened it up and created this viewership, but I think it was a collective. With social media and alternative methods, it’s a lot easier to get viewership. It doesn’t always have to be on ESPN or something like that, but you can highlight yourself and other players in creative ways.
I’m just so happy. As I said before, there was a point where I didn’t even care to go to the WNBA because there you couldn’t really make a living off of it. So, it feels good to know that women are finally able to make a living and pay their bills from the game. Things are getting better. It’s been a historic year, but we still have a lot of work to do.
Playboy: What should Playboy readers be on the lookout for from Crissa next?
Crissa Jackson: I am signing up to be in a bodybuilding show next year. That’s something that I’ve always wanted to do outside of basketball. I’ve always been into fitness and I’ve always wanted to compete. That’s my motivation. All my life, I’ve been motivated in a competitive way. Also, I’m writing as a 2025 New Year’s resolution that I’m able to get on a show, whether it be Dancing with the Stars or The Amazing Race. In terms of content creation, I’m just going to be doing a lot more show-based stuff on YouTube.
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