GG Jackson gets honest about facing LeBron James for the first time in his NBA career

Memphis Grizzlies rookie GG Jackson talked about facing LeBron James for the first time in his NBA career in an interview with Uninterrupted. When asked about his projected reaction to playing against LeBron, Jackson expressed his excitement about facing the 20-time NBA All-Star at the upcoming Grizzlies vs Lakers matchup.

"If he falls to the ground you might see me trying to help him up. That's all I'm gonna say," the rookie said.

"It was crazy when the Rockets played the Lakers, I called Cam Whitmore right after the game like, 'Yo, like what was it like playing against LeBron, what was it like?' And he was like so stoked about it and stuff too. He was like, 'I almost dunked on him, man.' So I feel like you know that just shows our appreciation that we have for him and what he's done for the game," he continued.

Further, GG Jackson talked about how prepared LeBron James is about the game, having known Jackson's full name when the rookie came across the all-time NBA scoring leader during AAU.

"He came to watch me play AAU during the Peach Jam. I saw Bron walking through the hallway and naturally everybody's like too scared to go up to him. I was like. 'Yo Bron!' and he turned around and was like, 'Oh, what up G!' I was like...no way. And then he dabbed me up, he was like 'Keep going GG,' Jackson said.

"He said my full name and I was like what, this is crazy. But that just shows how much he knows about the game. He knows about kids that aren't even in the league just yet so I feel like he's just preparing," Jackson continued.

GG Jackson will likely face LeBron James and the LA Lakers for the first time on March 28. He started this season with Memphis' G-League team, Memphis Hustle with whom he averaged 20 points on 43.3% shooting in 22 games.

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GG Jackson's contract with the Memphis Grizzlies

After a wave of injuries hit the Grizzlies earlier this year, GG Jackson has seen his playing time at the NBA level take off. In this opportunity, the rookie performed well, averaging 10.6 points per game in January. He was off to a better start in February, having scored 27 points off the bench against the Chicago Bulls and becoming the youngest player in NBA history to reach that total.

The Memphis Grizzlies then signed their emerging rookie to a standard four-year contract. The deal is expected to have three years guaranteed, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The 6-foot-9 forward was the 45th overall pick in the second round of the 2023 NBA draft. Rated as a five-star recruit out of high school, Jackson's one year in college at South Carolina featured inconsistent performances that led to his stock falling ahead of the draft.