Throughout his five-year stint with the Memphis Grizzlies, Jaren Jackson Jr. has managed to establish himself as one of the NBA’s top-flight big men.
From his defensive prowess that has earned him two All-Defensive nods and, last season, the Defensive Player of the Year award to his floor-spacing abilities that have seen him convert on three-point attempts at a 35.2 percent clip for his career, trip-J has become a quality and incredibly promising two-way presence down in the frontcourt.
However, his high-end level of play didn’t seem to shine through during the 2023 FIBA World Cup while serving as the starting pivot for Team USA, which is something fans and media pundits alike have put on notice following the club’s elimination from the tournament with their semifinals loss to Team Germany on September 8.
Fans slam Grizzlies star Jaren Jackson Jr. following FIBA World Cup ouster
One fan went on to state that the Grizzlies big should consider sending back his DPOY trophy following his lackluster efforts on the less glamorous side of the ball during this summer’s World Cup.
Jaren Jackson has to mail his DPOY award back after this game. Guy can't stop a drive or grab a rebound against Germany right now
— Rachad Davis (@Rachaddavis) September 8, 2023
Another jokingly asked President Joe Biden to take away Jackson’s United States passport.
Joe Biden Need to take Jaren Jackson Jr passport
— Le5-6 (@deepyy_) September 8, 2023
One user bluntly put a large portion of the blame for Team USA’s loss on Jackson.
Biggest issue for USA in this tournament has been JJJ. They put their eggs on him being as impactful as he is in the NBA and he just wasn’t.
— Nate Jones (@JonesOnTheNBA) September 8, 2023
Early on in the festivities, fellow Team USA member Anthony Edwards was quite vocal about the big man’s foul struggles, with coach Steve Kerr even suggesting the big should consider toning down his physicality to avoid receiving whistles.
Coming into their contest against Germany, the Grizzlies big was averaging a grueling 3.0 personal fouls a game to go along with rather lowly counting stats of 8.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and a mere 1.0 blocks on a putrid 28.6 percent shooting from deep.
During their final outing whilst in contention for gold, he would go on to drop just eight points and three boards in 19 minutes played.
The United States would go on to lose their bout against Germany by a final score of 113-111.
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