MEMPHIS, Tenn — In what was a rough year for the Memphis Grizzlies, GG Jackson wasn’t just a bright spot. He was a solar flare.
He also remembers the anxiety that came along with draft night. But the 45th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft is living proof. It’s not where you get drafted, but what you do with it.
The 19-year-old out of South Carolina went from being a second-round pick, to NBA G-League star, to overnight sensation in the course of a year. If you ask the youngest player in the NBA, it still hasn’t sunk in.
"It still really doesn't feel real and especially doesn't feel real now with this upcoming draft, I know basically every like body that was a freshman in college that’s in the draft, I know all those guys," Jackson said.
That journey started on draft night.
After an up and down year where critics questioned his maturity — not his talent — Jackson waited with friends and family much longer than anticipated to hear his name called.
He also watched people laugh at him on social media.
"It was kind of scary, I was like damn, I'm letting everybody down in a sense," Jackson said. "It was some people that was joining the live video, friends or somebody was on sending laughing emojis."
"That was probably the most down I've been other than the reason why I fell."
Jackson's draft stock dropped after a social media video circulated of him denigrating his South Carolina teammates and coaching staff. The then-freshman offered up an apology, but by then the damage was done.
"That's probably my only regret ever in my basketball career," he said.
His “only regret” led to the former #1 recruit in the Class of 2023 sliding out of the first round.
“I stepped into the bathroom and I didn't come out for a little bit and a couple of guys are like, 'Bruh, you're straight. They're gonna call your name, they're gonna call your name,'” Jackson remembers. "Then my mom bust in the bathroom. She grabbed me and then all of us in the bathroom we started praying. Like 15 minutes later, they ended up calling my name.”
Jackson’s star rose quickly. He spent the first half of the season dominating in the G-League with the Memphis Hustle while getting limited minutes with the Grizzlies.
In February, that all changed. Grizz general manager Zach Kleiman came calling with a standard contract in hand. 4 years, $8.5 million dollars.
"It was scary, like super scary how fast it came," Jackson said. "Mr. Zach, God. God sent him directly from heaven, Mr. Zach."
The belief wasn’t misplaced. Jackson immediately gave the shorthanded Grizz a scoring punch. The meteoric rise was highlighted by moments like a TNT interview with Shaquille O'Neal after dropping 23 points on the Warriors and a career-high 44 points against the Nuggets on the final night of the season.
Despite the highs, Jackson kept a constant reminder of the humility that draft night gave him. The 45 he wears across his chest. It's the same number as his draft pick - Round 2, Pick 45.
"It's a humbling feeling every time I look at that number. It brings you back. I promise, like brings me right back to that moment," Jackson said. "So I'll never forget that day."
The youngest player in the NBA finished the year fourth in scoring by rookies (14.6 ppg). He broke Kobe Bryant’s record for the youngest player to score 25 points or more off the bench. In May, he was named NBA All-Rookie second team, the only second round pick of the group.
It all served as validation for the hills he’d had to climb.
"I checked my phone; man, I started crying. I had a silent praise break by myself just stomping and jumping and dancing all around the house," Jackson said.
It’s been one year since that prayer in the bathroom in South Carolina. In 2024, Jackson will technically be a veteran, but he knows tons of players will sit at parties just like he did, waiting to hear their names called.
"You get picked for a reason. And regardless of where it is, they know you can play basketball. Otherwise, they wouldn't call your name," he said.