CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The men's basketball practice court at the Ubben Basketball Complex will bear the names of Illini legends Mannie Jackson and Jerry Colangelo.

"Mannie Jackson and Jerry Colangelo have established themselves as two of the most iconic figures in the history of Fighting Illini Basketball," said Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Whitman. "From the time they were teammates on the Illinois campus, they have walked separate, but remarkably similar, paths that have shaped the game of basketball, not only in this country, but around the world. They each became owners of professional sports franchises, leaders and agents of change in international basketball, and successful entrepreneurs and philanthropists – lives of purpose and meaning that ultimately led each of them to enshrinement in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and to be inaugural members in the Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame.

"Through it all, they have enjoyed a decades-long friendship that started with their time in the Orange and Blue. They are two of the most respected names in the game of basketball, and we are beyond proud that they are Fighting Illini. I can think of no better way to celebrate their contributions to the University of Illinois, Fighting Illini Athletics, and the game of basketball than by naming the men's court in the renovated Ubben facility in their honor, so that players past, present, and future will learn of their storied legacies."

Mannie Jackson was born in a railroad boxcar in Illmo, Missouri, and spent his early childhood years with his parents and other members of his extended family living on the tracks before moving to Edwardsville, Illinois, and finding statewide high school success on the basketball court.

Upon enrolling at the University of Illinois in 1956, he broke down barriers when he and former high school teammate Govoner Vaughn became the first African-Americans to start and letter in basketball for the Fighting Illini from 1958-60. Jackson earned All-Big Ten honors twice as an Illini and, following graduation, he played in the National Industrial Basketball League in New York.

Jackson's work in New York was interrupted when Harlem Globetrotters owner Abe Saperstein asked him to join the international team as a competitive player. Following his "globetrotting" basketball days, he re-entered the corporate world with a newfound global perspective. In 1993, Jackson bought the Globetrotters and turned the franchise into a fast-growing, profitable, and relevant entity.

Jackson was awarded the 2015 Theodore Roosevelt Award by the NCAA, the association's top honor. Jackson served as Chairman of the National Basketball Hall of Fame from 2007-09. He was inducted as a Laureate of The Lincoln Academy and awarded the Order of Lincoln (the State's highest honor) by the Governor of Illinois in 2010. Jackson is a 2017 inductee to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, as well as a 2017 inductee in the inaugural class of the University of Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame.

To help other African-Americans in the business world, Jackson later co-founded and served as the first chair of the Executive Leadership Council, an organization devoted to increasing the number of Black executives in corporations worldwide.

Jackson's legacy of giving back has extended to his alma mater, where his contributions created the Mannie L. Jackson Illinois Academic Enrichment and Leadership Program (I-LEAP), which provides academic and social support through bi-weekly, one-on-one academic coaching sessions, mentoring, academic-skills development, leadership training, and referrals to resources.

Jackson also made a leadership commitment to create the Mannie L. Jackson University of Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013 as part of the Illinois Renaissance renovation of State Farm Center.

Jerry Colangelo grew up in a house that his grandfather constructed with wood from railroad cars. He was a gangly kid from the working-class "Hungry Hill" neighborhood in Chicago Heights, with very strong Italian roots. He was able to overcome many obstacles thanks to his strong work ethic and commitment to his community, as well as his passion for athletics and the support he got from his family.

Colangelo arrived at the University of Illinois in 1958 after a stellar high school baseball and basketball career at Bloom Township High School in Chicago Heights, Illinois. He played basketball and baseball at Illinois from 1960-62 before embarking on a long and influential career in professional sports as a coach, marketing director, general manager and team owner.

Colangelo is the former owner of the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury, Arizona Sandsharks, Arizona Rattlers and Arizona Diamondbacks. He became the youngest general manager in professional sports in 1968 after being hired by the Suns.

Colangelo has served as Chairman of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, as well as holding many other leadership positions within the NBA, MLB, and charitable foundations and community organizations.

Colangelo is a four-time NBA Executive of the Year and was named as one of Phoenix's 15 all-time most influential citizens and the Most Influential Sports Figure in Arizona for the 20th century by the Arizona Republic. Colangelo was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004. He was named Director of USA Basketball in 2005 and helped lead the U.S. Men's National Team to Olympic gold in 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020 before retiring from the position following the Tokyo Games.

Colangelo was inducted into the Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class in 2017 and he continues to be among the most successful and influential Illini Basketball alumni in the world of sports.

Colangelo and his wife, Joan, whom he met on a blind date while at the University of Illinois, have four children: Kathy Holcombe, Kristen Brubaker, Bryan Colangelo, and Mandie Colangelo.

Illinois is re-dedicating the Ubben Basketball Complex on February 10 with Jackson planning to be in attendance.