GG Jackson

Gregory "GG" Jackson II (born December 17, 2004) is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the South Carolina Gamecocks of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

Early life and high school
Jackson grew up in Columbia, South Carolina and attended Ridge View High School. As a sophomore, he averaged 15.8 points and 10 rebounds as Ridge View won the South Carolina Class 5A State Championship. Jackson was named the South Carolina Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year after averaging 22.1 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game and leading the Blazers to a second straight state title in his junior season.

Recruitment
Jackson was rated a five-star recruit and was the consensus best collegiate prospect for the 2023 recruiting class. He initially committed to play college basketball at North Carolina (UNC) shortly after the conclusion of his junior season after considering offers from Auburn, Duke, Georgetown, and South Carolina. Jackson later decommitted from UNC, becoming the first player to do so since J. R. Smith in 2003. He ultimately reclassified to the class of 2022 and enrolled at South Carolina. Jackson's commitment made him the highest-ranked recruit in school history.

College career
Jackson entered his freshman season at South Carolina as the Gamecocks' starting power forward. He was named the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Freshman of the Week for the first week of the season after averaging 15 points and nine rebounds in his first two career games. Jackson was benched after shooting 0-for-8 and scoring no points in an 85–42 loss to Tennessee. In the following game he scored 16 points off the bench in a 71–68 win over Kentucky. Jackson finished the season as the Gamecocks' leading scorer with 15.4 points per game and also led the team with 26 blocks and 24 steals. Following the end of the season he entered the 2023 NBA draft.

Professional career
Jackson was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies with the 45th overall pick in the second round of the 2023 NBA draft, subsequently joining the team for the 2023 NBA Summer League. On August 31, 2023, he signed a two-way contract with the Grizzlies, splitting time with their NBA G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle.

Extensive injuries to the Grizzlies roster during the 2023-24 season led to the team recalling Jackson from the Hustle. On February 8, 2024, Jackson scored a then-career-high 27 points during a 118–110 loss to the Chicago Bulls, which led to the Grizzlies signing Jackson to a four-year contract the following day. On March 10, Jackson made his starting debut for the Grizzlies against the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he would score 30 points in a 124-93 loss. On March 20, Jackson scored 35 points with seven three-point shots made in a 137-116 loss to the Golden State Warriors, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to make seven threes in a game. In the regular season finale on April 14th, Jackson scored a career-high 44 points and recorded 12 rebounds in a 111-126 loss to the Denver Nuggets, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to record 40 points and 10 rebounds in a game. His 44 points also set the record for the most points by a rookie in Grizzlies franchise history.

National team
Jackson played for the United States under-18 basketball team at the 2022 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship.