GG Jackson returns to Columbia during NBA break. Why the reception had him beaming
He wore a tan tracksuit and sneakers as he looked around at the other South Carolina men’s basketball alumni. He hadn’t stepped foot inside Colonial Life Arena in the months his freshman year of college ended.
Now, GG Jackson is one of the youngest players in the NBA.
He didn’t follow the standard path toward professional basketball. Jackson, 19, played well in college, but he left with plenty of eligibility left and a lot of potential to be realized. Yet, when he visited Colonial Life Arena last weekend during the NBA All-Star break, Jackson was stopped at every turn. Fans wanted to congratulate him, take a few photos and welcome home the one-year star.
“It still feels unreal at times,” Jackson said. “I’ve been able to find success, kinda like the diamond in the rough. It’s just kind of shocking.”
Jackson visited the Gamecocks’ practice Friday afternoon, where he reunited with former teammates Meechie Johnson, Jacobi Wright and Josh Gray. He joined other alumni for USC’s Legends Weekend events.
Jackson signed with South Carolina in 2022 after a successful run at Ridge View High School. There, he played against A.C. Flora High and rising USC star Collin Murray-Boyles. The two faced off multiple times and got to know each other while Murray-Boyles was being recruited by Lamont Paris.
“I’m not gonna lie: I hated playing against him in high school,” Jackson said, laughing. “He’ll either have like 25 (points) and 15 rebounds — we’ll come away with the win. ... He’s a force to be reckoned with. I’ll tell you that.”
He finished his lone season at South Carolina averaging 15.4 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game. Jackson was drafted by the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies in the second round at No. 45 overall.
Jackson played six games with the franchise’s G-League team, the Memphis Hustle, before making his NBA debut with the Grizzlies. Jackson signed a four-year deal with the organization on Feb. 9.
“I was expecting a lot of G-League play,” he said. “I thought I was going to be in the G-League for the majority, if not the whole, year.”
Since going pro, Jackson said he’s had to readjust to certain elements of basketball. Many of the things Paris got on Jackson about were problems the rookie had to work on even more. An example: boxing out. It ended up becoming Jackson’s “welcome to the NBA moment.”
But Jackson reflected on learning how “hero ball” isn’t always the answer. The former Gamecock was heavily relied on last season in college, oftentimes leading USC’s scoring alongside Johnson.
“I just wanted to go in and try to maximize my role,” Jackson said on his NBA start.
Former head coach Frank Martin was the one who recruited Jackson to South Carolina, but Jackson developed a relationship with Paris as he took over the program. The Gamecocks finished the 2022-23 season 11-21.
Although Jackson isn’t a part of South Carolina’s rise this year, he’s watched the Gamecocks reach 21 wins. He’s talked with Johnson and shown his support for USC on social media.
“It’s been so much fun watching these guys play,” Jackson said. “It just goes to show the kind of coach Coach Paris is. He really, really knows the game inside out and it just shows the work that these guys have been able to put in.”
Jackson has gone from being a local high school star to breaking a single-game NBA rookie scoring record, and he’s slowly learning what life is like after moving on from Columbia.
He’s felt the support from his former teammates and coaches. He saw the support over the weekend from fans, taking photos, signing autographs and interacting with everyone.
“I think back to my official visit, when Coach Frank Martin was here,” Jackson said. “And he sat in his office and he told me if I was to come to the school, the gratitude ... I really didn’t understand it at the time. I was just trying to play basketball.
“But you know, looking back on it, everything he told me he’s been coming true.”
