Beyond his business acumen, Jackson is also a legendary Los Angeles Lakers superfan. He owns eight courtside seats at Crypto.com Arena — more than any other individual — and his love for the team is so intense that he built a full-scale replica of the Lakers’ home court at his mansion in Bel Air. The private facility, complete with championship banners, locker rooms, and weight rooms, has become an off-season practice spot for NBA players, including secret team workouts by the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers. His estate, which spans two adjoining homes valued at a combined $30–40 million, reflects the same larger-than-life vision that defines his business ventures.
L.A. Gear and the PCH Investments Play
In the early 1990s, L.A. Gear — once a red-hot sneaker brand with $800 million in revenue — had flamed out spectacularly. That’s when Steven Jackson, through his Los Angeles-based investment firm PCH Investments (co-founded with Richard Hollander), stepped in. In 1997, PCH acquired a 42% stake in the bankrupt company for just $228,000. It was a calculated move — and a long play. Though L.A. Gear soon filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy again in 1998, Jackson didn’t walk away. Instead, he repositioned ACI International — his larger footwear company — as a global licensee for the L.A. Gear brand. Under Jackson’s leadership, ACI shifted the business model away from direct manufacturing toward brand management and licensing, and relaunched L.A. Gear with updated designs and celebrity collaborations.
ACI International and Brand Licensing Success
Today, ACI International operates out of multiple cities worldwide and produces millions of pairs of shoes annually under both house and licensed brands. ACI has inked licensing deals or developed shoe lines for a wide range of big-name brands and cultural properties, including:
Shaquille O’Neal Disney Nickelodeon Perry Ellis Margaritaville Above the Rim Denali Lyric Culture
The company thrives in the value-priced market, often producing affordable shoes for department stores, big-box retailers, and international distributors. Jackson is known for his ability to identify underutilized or nostalgic brands and revive them through smart manufacturing and celebrity tie-ins — a skill that’s earned him deep respect in both fashion and licensing circles.
Lakers Superfan and Replica Court Mansion
Steven Jackson is perhaps just as famous in sports circles for his diehard Los Angeles Lakers fandom. He owns eight Lakers courtside seats, the most of any individual in the world. At his primary estate in Bel Air, Jackson built an exact life-size replica of the Lakers’ home court, down to the hardwood, the scoreboard, the painted lines, the championship banners, and the locker rooms. One wall features framed Lakers jerseys, another has full-scale championship banners. The facility includes steam rooms, weight rooms, a movie theater, bowling alley, tennis court, and game room. He also owns the property next door. Combined, the two homes are worth an estimated $30–40 million. You can easily see the home with the Lakers court from Google Earth: The court has become something of a legend among NBA players. In 2011, the Miami Heat — including LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh — used it for secret practices while preparing for a West Coast road trip. When the 2020 NBA season was postponed due to the Coronavirus in April 2020, players were not allowed to practice as a team until July 9. In mid-June, it was rumored that the Lakers, led by LeBron James, had been having secret team workouts at Steven’s house for weeks. LeBron had supposedly been holding workout sessions with a handful of teammates at a time. On June 20, 2020, Bill Simmons stated on his podcast that the Lakers had been working out together “at some rich guy’s house in Bel Air”. Technically, these workouts would have been against NBA protocol. And for your information, LeBron is CERTAINLY aware of Steven Jackson’s house and Lakers replica court since we know he practiced there in 2011 as a member of the Heat!
