'I wish I could've done things better': GG Jackson opens up on time as a Gamecock, transition to NBA

Everything in GG Jackson’s life has been full speed ahead, sometimes moving too quick. He reclassified coming out of high school to join South Carolina a year early. And now, after being a late draft pick, he’s finding success with the Memphis Grizzlies.

With the NBA having its All-Star break, Jackson was back in Columbia this weekend at Colonial Life Arena for Legends Weekend. Fans welcomed him back in a big way after earning a four-year contract with the Grizzlies for his impressive play.

“It still feels unreal at times,” Jackson said. “I’ve been able to find success as a diamond in the rough. But now, I’ve just got to sharpen up my edges.”

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Ever since the draft, the last few months have been a whirlwind for the former Gamecock forward. Jackson started the season off in the G League before being called up by Memphis.

While it’s a small sample size, there’s no denying how impressive Jackson has been since making his NBA debut. In 23 games, he’s averaging 11.3 points per game in 19.4 minutes of action. There have been five games in which he scored more than 20 points.

Despite being the 45th overall selection in this past year’s NBA Draft, the talent was always there. It was just a matter of whether or not he could mature and become consistent.

“But going into the draft, I was expecting a lot of G League play,” Jackson said. “I thought I was going to be in the G League for majority, if not the whole year. But I just tried to take every game like it was an NBA game cause ultimately that’s where I want to stay.”

It’s easy to forget that Jackson is only 19 years old. He was only 17 when he originally came to South Carolina as a freshman. There were plenty of highs and lows during his one year in Columbia. And looking back on it, Jackson knows it.

“I wish I could’ve done things better,” he said. “Coach Paris and the coaching staff, they let me get away with a lot of stuff. But that just goes to show the kind of guy he is.”

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Now with a new opportunity in front of him, Jackson hopes to take full advantage of it and thrive in the role he’s been given with the Grizzlies.

“I’ve just been trying to maximize my role because I’m playing on a team with a lot of heavy hitters, so I’m not going to be that main focal point, which is fine with me,” Jackson said. “You’ve got to start somewhere, and I’ve put myself in this position through the work that I had here and try to shine through there.”

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