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The Memphis rookie GG Jackson had an impressive performance against Golden State on Monday, and it seems that Steph Curry may have played a role in his success. The former South Carolina standout scored a career-high 23 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Additionally, he contributed six rebounds, two steals, and two blocks, while also making five three-pointers to lead the Grizzlies to a 116-107 victory.
After the game, Jackson received praise from the NBA community, with many believing that this could be his official introduction to the league. One of those congratulating him was Shaq, who commended the young forward for his stellar performance. This was Jackson’s second consecutive game with over 20 points.
Jackson is no stranger to success. He was a highly recruited player in college, averaging 15 points per game during his freshman year with the Gamecocks. He was drafted by Memphis in the second round and began his career coming off the bench. However, his playing time could increase in the near future, and he may have Steph Curry to thank for that.
According to Draymond Green’s recent podcast, Jackson had some extra motivation for the Golden State game. It turns out that Curry had previously uninvited Jackson from a camp opportunity, which left a lasting impression on the rookie. Green shared the following about the incident:
“[Jackson] said to Steph at halftime, ‘Man, I got uninvited from your camp,’ which I thought was interesting… [Curry] was like, ‘I remember that. We were filled on spots, so we had to pull some invites back.’
“Steph was like, ‘I kinda froze for a minute. It caught me a bit off-guard. What do you say to that?’ So, after the game, I learned that it was very personal for GG.
“Not only was it like, ‘I’m getting a chance to play against Steph Curry,’ but he found this extra added motivation.”
Clearly, this motivation had a significant impact on Jackson’s performance. It remains to be seen if he can maintain this level of play and continue his impressive streak.
According to the Source brobible.com