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It can be easy to forget professional athletes aren’t immune to being star-struck, and if you need proof that’s the case, you don’t need to look any further than the reaction Grizzlies rookie GG Jackson had after getting to chat with Shaquille O’Neal following a huge game against the Warriors on Monday night.
The expectations surrounding GG Jackson were pretty high when he headed to the University of South Carolina to kick off his freshman season in 2022. The 6’9″ power forward had been the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2023 before he decided to head to college a year early, and he averaged more than 15 points per game before opting to take his talents to the NBA.
The Memphis Grizzlies selected Jackson with the 45th overall pick in the draft over the summer before signing him to a two-way contract. He more than held his own while honing his skills with the franchise’s G-League affiliate, and while he’s only played eight NBA games so far, it seems like he may have earned a spot in the league based on how he’s been faring recently.
Over the weekend, Jackson posted a career-high 20 points against the Knicks, but he managed to outdo himself on Monday by putting up 23 points (along with six assists and a couple of steals and blocks) during his squad’s 116-107 victory over the Warriors.
That performance was enough to earn him a postgame interview with the Inside the NBA crew, and the man who turned 19 years old around a month ago didn’t even attempt to contain his excitement after hearing Shaq’s voice pumped into his headset.
.@_ggjackson's reaction to hearing @SHAQ in his postgame interview 🥹 pic.twitter.com/zAeZJlFqpa
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 16, 2024
While it’s a bit too early to make any sweeping conclusions based on Jackson’s recent play, it doesn’t feel like a stretch to assume this won’t be the last time he’ll be chatting with Shaq and Co.