Memphis Grizzlies rookie GG Jackson II had a great first year in the league despite his team missing several key players, most notably Ja Morant. Along the way, though, the promising star recalled Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo pinching him during a regular season game.
While many expected the Grizzlies to be one of the Western Conference’s top teams this year, the exact opposite happened. Their start to the regular season wasn’t really something to talk about due to the 25-game suspension slapped on Morant during the offseason because of a gun-flashing incident.
Things got worse when the All-Star guard was injured several games to his return, ending any chance for Memphis to contend this season. Also, key players missed a huge chunk of the season, such as Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart, and Jaren Jackson, which resulted in a poor performance for the team.
Among the few bright spots in the Grizzlies’ 2023-24 campaign was no other than their top rookie this season, GG Jackson II. Over the course of 48 games, the 19-year old power forward averaged 14.6 points on 35 percent shooting from deep, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per contest. Even though Memphis tanked this year, his showing throughout that period was very promising for the franchise.
Memphis Grizzlies Rookie GG Jackson II Reveals Hilarious Story About Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo
As great as Jackson was for the Grizzlies, there’s still some form of initiation he went through as a rookie. One such incident was when Milwaukee Bucks forward Antetokounmpo pinched him during a game. In a video shared by Run It Back on X, the rookie was seen recalling the story while checking out for his mother before cussing:
.@TeamLou23: “Is it true that Giannis pinched you during a game?”@_ggjackson: “YES!” **checks to see if his mom is around** “I WAS BUSTING HIS A**!!” 😭@MichelleDBeadle | @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/NVp5BZUoYw
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) May 10, 2024
The game in question might have occurred during a 113-110 Memphis win on February 15, 2024. During that contest, Jackson dropped 27 points, including six three-pointers. There’s a chance two-time MVP Antetokounmpo snuck a pinch in while defending the rookie since he described the incident happening during a hot scoring night from beyond the perimeter.
In a way, the match between these two power forwards showed a lot of excitement when it happened a few months ago. Hopefully, they can meet again on the court next season to see whether who comes out of top by then.
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